Evolution
by kismet4891
Summary: AU. The evolution of Katniss' love life through breaking up with her first boyfriend to meeting a handsome, college quarterback.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own The Hunger Games. I am not profiting from writing this in any way.**

**Warning: Rated M for coarse language and sexual situations, reader disgression advised.**

* * *

Katniss stared at her reflection in the mirror. Today was the day, it was her day, and the day she had been waiting for since she was eleven and first handled a bow. It was opening day of the three day deer archery season in the state of Oklahoma and her first official outing as a hunter. At fifteen, she was still considered a 'youth' hunter meaning that she had to be accompanied by an adult and that any kill she made would technically go to her father's limit. Nerves ate away at her stomach as she placed good luck token from her best friend Gale on her head covering her French braid. The worn orange Tennessee Vols hat would serve as indicator to any other hunters that she was not a target, however, another human on the hunt.

Katniss' thoughts were interrupted by her father bellowing from downstairs, "The Hawthorne's should be here any minute. You ready?"

"I'm coming dad!" Katniss replied as she bounded down the stairs to the entryway where her dad was checking the equipment.

* * *

By the third and final day of deer archery season, Katniss' excitement and nerves had been replaced by anger over not having bagged a deer yet. She had taken a shot on the first day only to have it deflect off of a tree. Her mood was increasingly somber as she climbed into the back of the Hawthorne's jeep. "C'mon Catnip, cheer up and have a donut. They are pretty amazing and I had to get dad out of the house thirty minutes earlier to be at the shop for the first batch."

Gale's enthusiasm irritated her, "Easy for you to say Gale. I seem to remember someone bagging a deer the first day of their first hunting season when they were FIFTEEN."

"Go easy on yourself, Catnip. Not everyone can be the amazing hunter than I am. I mean you are just setting yourself up for disappointment comparing yourself to someone as skilled as myself." Joking with her best friend lightened Katniss' mood considerably and a smile replaced her scowl.

* * *

Gale had always had that effect on her. He was the big brother she never asked for and people usually thought that they were siblings. Both with dark hair and grey eyes the resembled each other physically and carried the same stubborn attitude. The pair had been inseparable when they first met at a company Christmas party thrown by Seam, the oil company that both Mr. Everdeen and Mr. Hawthorne worked for. Tucked underneath a large Christmas tree they sneaked peppermint candy canes and giggled at how ridiculous the adults were acting after hours of Ripper's famous egg nog.

From that moment on, Gale took it upon himself to be Katniss' best friend and protector. When she joined him at the large Middle School that all the children in town attended, he protected her from the harsh reality of no longer being in a small, separate school with other children whose parents worked for Seam. In the small town there were two distinct class systems that Katniss was unaware existed before being thrown into Middle School. The students whose parents were professionals in the community considered the students whose parents were oil field workers for the Seam to be 'oil field trash.' With her quiet nature and book worm qualities, Katniss, missed most of the ridicule Seam children were subjected to and Gale protected her from the rest.

It was Gale who noticed the large buck on the trail in front of them and motioned for Katniss to take stance, it was Gale who scooped Katniss in his arms and twirled her around when the buck fell, it was Gale who realized the way his heart skipped a beat and the electricity in the air when Katniss was in his presence, and it was Gale who pressed his lips to hers and claimed her as more than a best friend.

* * *

He was her first friend, her first kiss, her first boyfriend, and her first love and today Katniss knew he would be another first of hers. An unfortunate first, but another milestone to adulthood, Gale would be the first heart she would break. Clenched in her hand, Katniss held her ticket out of her small town. She held a packet from the University of Tennessee accepting her and offering her a full ride. Room, board, tuition and even a work study position in the horticulture department. Her dream was coming true!

This dream like everything else in her life was irrevocably tied to Gale. Years ago when she asked why he always wore a Tennessee Vols hat when they lived in a state dominated by alliance to two state universities his answer was unsurprisingly a tale of love and devotion to his family. Gale had laughed and recounted how he had really wanted a Oklahoma State hat but his baby brother Vick had picked out the Vols hat off the shelf at Lids because he 'liked the orange better.' Not being able to deny his baby brother, Gale used his Christmas cash on a hat for a university he knew nothing about. Katniss' interest was piqued and she started researching the University of Tennessee and realized that the agricultural resources program was exactly where she needed to be. She knew it would be hard work but she was naturally intelligent and driven with the knowledge that her parents would never be able to afford sending her out of state. Her grades were impeccable, her SAT scores outstanding, and her duties within the community earned her the recognition of National Merit Scholar.

* * *

"I should have never bought that fucking hat." Gale mused as the tension rolled off of his shoulders. He wrung his grease stained hands together as he and Katniss sat on the porch swing of her parent's modest house. "I love you too much to try and talk you out of it and I love you too much to let you go."

"Gale, this isn't the end of us. Yeah, I'll be a few states away but we can email and IM and talk on the phone. I'll save my work study stipend and visit for Christmas and the summer. Nothing will change. Tell me nothing will change, tell me this is okay, I need for us to be okay." Katniss' voice broke shattering the confident façade she had built while preparing to tell him.

"Catnip," emotion lacing his voice, "you know that's not enough for me. It's so fucking hard on me only seeing you after a twelve hour work day, how can I survive when your almost a thousand miles away." His sadness quickly turning to anger, "there are TWO state schools both less than three hours away and one has a damn good agriculture department. Please choose one of them! I want you to go to school, you deserve it more than anyone else I know but I can't stand the thought of you leaving me behind." Gale's words trailed off as a single tear slid down his cheek.

"I have to go. You know more than anyone else how hard my parents work to provide for me and Prim. You know I have to go. Please don't be mad, please don't stop loving me." With that, Katniss presses forward and wraps herself around him pushing her lips to his forcefully. Pressing her forehead to his, she pleads "Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm not leaving for another six months. We need to make the most of our time. Please."

"I'll never stop loving you. I guarantee you will be the one who stops loving me." Gale whispers into her hair.

* * *

In two weeks time she would leave the security of the small town that she was raised in and move out of her childhood home and into the dorms at the University of Tennessee. Her mother, father, and baby sister Prim were going to follow her to Knoxville in the family suburban and leave her and her old Honda sedan there. The closer time got for departure the more real it seemed and Katniss was beginning to realize why her mom's eyes watered up when she walked in the room and why Gale had become increasingly distant.

Katniss knew that she had to do something to get Gale to reconnect with her and be like he was before the letter came. She had something very specific in mind, as it was something that they had been working towards since that first kiss when she was fifteen. Deep in her drawer, hidden in a roll of socks within a roll of socks was a small box of condoms. Tonight was the night she would finally go all the way with Gale. For three years they had kissed caressed and shyly became acquainted with each other's bodies. Ever the gentlemen and protector Gale had not once pushed the issue of sex even though she knew restraining himself was sometimes extremely difficult for him. They had discussed it but Katniss had never felt ready and he had never pushed. This was something she could give him to show her that she was his. Having sex with Gale would erase any doubts he had about her love for him.

* * *

Katniss let herself into Gale's tiny apartment and started browning hamburger and boiling noodles for spaghetti. She heard the door open as she was pulling the bread from the oven and felt arms envelope her from behind. "Come home from work and find a beautiful woman cooking me dinner, now this is something I could get used to." Gale murmurs into Katniss' braid.

"I figured you would be hungry, I know dad is always starving when he gets home. How was work?"

"Hot as hell! I'm beat. What was I thinking becoming a roustabout? I know that is how are dads started but shit it's getting hard being at the bottom of the food chain." He grimaces and then smiles broadly at Katniss, "Food ready?"

Katniss nods and directs Gale to the table where she hands him a plate of spaghetti. Dinner is nice but the feeling of domestic happiness that it evokes causes Gale to pause at what will not be with Katniss moving instead of marrying him. Katniss notices his change of mood and goes to him and crawling into his lap and placing a soft kiss to his mouth. "Wow. I can tell it was hot out there you have definitely smelt better Hawthorne. Why don't you shower and I'll clean up in here and we can watch a movie I brought?"

Katniss waits for Gale to settle himself in the shower before taking off her own clothes and opening the door to the bathroom. "Catnip? That you, babe?" Gale asked from behind the curtain. Instead of answering, Katniss reaches for the shower curtain and pulls it back stepping into the shower. Gale inhaled sharply. He had seen pieces of Katniss' nudity when things had gotten carried away between them but never like this and never fully naked. "Fuck. What are you trying to do to me?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago." Katniss coos with a slight tremor in her voice betraying her nervousness. She gazes at Gale's body taking in the sight of it. Tall and lean with sculpted arms and abs from long days on the oil rig. 'What have I gotten myself into' Katniss thought to herself as took in the sight of his manhood with a furious blush. 'Okay this isn't so bad, he isn't…" Katniss' thoughts trailed off as she watched him grow in front of her.

Looking at her delicate frame with tight muscles and perfectly round breasts caused Gale to harden instantly. This woman would truly be the death of him. Gale pulled Katniss to him in a rushed kiss, his erection pressed into her side as he trails kisses down her chin and neck.

Hands grasping her breasts and thumbs rubbing over her nipples, Gale strains to push the words out "Are you sure about this?" Instead of replying with words Katniss chooses actions and moans softly while arching her chest into his hands. "Not here. Not like this. You deserve to be worshipped and I've been waiting way too long to rush this." Gale then sweeps Katniss into his arms and takes her into the bedroom. He positions himself to the side of Katniss and kisses her, tugging at her lower lip with his teeth and forcing his tongue into her mouth. Trailing his hands down her body he traces circles around her hip bones waiting for a sign that he can move further. Her hips thrust up to meet the circling of his fingertips and he skirts them further down her skin to where her thighs connect. Finding her wet and ready he starts to stroke.

Katniss moans softly and Gale isn't sure he will be able to prevent himself from spilling himself onto the comforter. They have been here before, it isn't the first time he has touched her but it is the first time he has allowed himself to believe it could go further. She wraps a hand around his hardness and he immediately stills her hand with his, "Believe me Catnip, I don't need any preparation. I'm going to concentrate on getting you ready. I want this to be so amazing you realize you can't leave."

Katniss is startled that he would say such a thing at a time like this. 'Just ignore it' she tells herself, regardless, she feels her face betray her true emotions. It is this look that shatters his heart into a thousand pieces. It is the look that confirms what he already knew, that no matter what he does she would not stay. He would lose her. She would leave. He sits up suddenly and Katniss immediately feels the shift in the room. From the edge of the bed with his back turned to her he asks her to leave.

"Just go." He chokes out. "I want you more than anything but not like this. Not as a consolation prize. Not as something to remember you by. I'm not taking this piece of your innocence so you can regret it later." Tears freely falling from his eyes at this point. "Leave. I'm not mad we can talk about it tomorrow."

Katniss falters, "Are you serious?" she questions as she scrambles to find her clothes trying to get him to turn around and look at her. "Will you at least look at me?"

"Just go. I love you. Go, please?" Gale buries his head in his hands remaining on the bed and unable to walk her out.

"Fine." Katniss fumes. "Be an asshole! I cannot believe I wasted three years of my life with a complete dick." She screams as she storms out the door.

* * *

Gale cannot bring himself to call her the next day and explain his actions. He is too stubborn to admit how much he loves and needs her. How can he tell her that he believes that he may not remember to breathe without her in his life? Katniss is too embarrassed and stubborn to call him. Instead, they are both left to form their own conclusions as to what happened between them that night with neither version doing the true story justice.

* * *

Later, on the car ride to her new life in Knoxville she will regret those words. The last words she spoke to her first love laced with anger and passion. It is in remembering those words she makes a promise to herself, Katniss Everdeen, will never open up just to be humiliated again. If Gale did not want her then that was just fine with her because she refused to love anyone else again. Besides, she told herself there would not be time to date or anything else with her busy schedule.


	2. Chapter 1

Peeta Mellark had expected big things when he signed with the University of Tennessee football program in the spring of his senior year. Several NCAA division I football teams had scouted him but he had decided to choose his parents alma mater. The main reason being that he was a shoo in for quarterback once the current starter, Finnick Odair, graduated (well this was what coach had promised as he sat on his parents couch). As a red shirt freshman, he had not expected play time but he just assumed that life would continue as normal for him. Wake, work out, eat, go to school, eat, some more school, work out, practice, and enjoy the evening with friends or his girl.

However, life had dramatically changed when he moved into the athletic dorms in early July. His weight lifting schedule was grueling, the meals bland and tailored for him by team dieticians to help put on weight, classes were a bitch, and practices were the absolute worst. No longer did he enjoy practice he dreaded it. It was like him and all the other freshmen were punching bags for the upper classmen. High school opponents had sized him up as large and built for speed. He could run the ball as well as he could throw it and at over 6 feet tall he thought he was fine physical specimen. At the collegiate level he was considered tiny and found himself constantly injured and worn out.

Still, things had been going pretty good with his girl until a few days ago when he blew his ACL and MCL during a tackle he received during a practice drill. That is when he found out what a cleat chaser his girlfriend of two years, Delly Cartwright, really was. "It's not you, Peeta. It's me!" She promised. "I just have soooooo much going on with rush and my pledge class needs me! We will still be friends, I just can't take on being a student, a pledge, AND a nurse" emphasizing the 'and' with more force than necessary.

He should have been surprised when he heard one of the junior wide receivers bragging about some busty blonde named Delly that had blown him at a Tri Delt party. He figured the odds were against there being another hot pledge named Delly that fit her physical description hanging out a fraternity party. It surprised him that mild shock was the only emotion he could feel when it came to the girl who was his first everything.

* * *

Peeta hobbled on crutches towards the dining hall. 'Just great, how am I going to manage filling a tray and finding some place to sit without spilling everything?' He thought to himself and reevaluating his decision of crutches over wheelchair.

"Mellark! Mellark! There you are you cripple!" exclaimed a fit man with bronze hair and gorgeous eyes. "Sweetness?" The man questioned to the blonde girl beside him, "Would you please go pick up a protein special for my friend here? Just tell them it's for Finnick and to charge it to the football account." Before Peeta can protest, the girl stands smiling and nodding at Finnick. He offers up a dazzling smile and a wink to the curvy blonde, "Thank you, sweetness."

Peeta rolls his eyes directly at Finnick not attempting to hide his disdain, "I'm not a fucking invalid, Odair, and I could have got that myself."

"Sure you could. Where exactly did you plan on tucking your tray away? Just let me take care of you. Don't worry your pretty little head, I'll make sure to 'tip' Bonnie well for her service to you." Finnick joked raising his eyebrows in a seductive way. "Get it man? I'm going to 'tip' her." Laughing boisterously and slapping Peeta on the back he exclaims, "Do I have to spell it out man! I'm going to start with the tip…" Finnick trailed off not finishing his explanation when he noticed Peeta staring a lone girl tucked away in a dark corner of the dining hall.

* * *

Katniss had noticed a pair of crystal blue eyes watching her twice in her short time at Tennessee. A month ago, when she moved into the athletic dorms she caught the man staring at her while she carried her meager belongings from the car and up the stairs. He had been sitting beside a blonde with huge breasts watching a game of sand volleyball in the courtyard. The second time she had been digging up weeds and planting fall mums in the planters outside of a common classroom building when she felt like someone was watching. She turned just in time to see the blue eyed man collide with a caterer who spilled bread rolls all over the walking path. So, as she peered up from the textbook she was reading it did not surprise her to see those same blue eyes studying her again. It unnerved her to have such a handsome man staring at her, untrusting as always she wondered, 'what does he want with me? He is sitting with the football players I bet he thinks I'll sleep with him just like all the other girls in this dorm.'

"Dream on, Mellark. I'm pretty sure that girl is a lesbian. I mean she has to be to turn down what I'm offering." Finnick supplied. "I winked. I smiled. I used every ounce of the Odair charm and home girl wouldn't even give me the time of day. Plus, home girl has a weird accent."

"Wait! You've met her?" Peeta sputters out choking on some water before turning to stare at Finnick.

Peeta could not believe this incredible twist of fate. Not only had Finnick met the girl, he had talked to her and been rejected by her. He had noticed the girl with the lovely hair around campus tending to the planters and flower beds and had been instantly been taken with her. When he and Delly had been watching the volleyball tournament he had been excited to see that it appeared that the girl was moving into the athletic dorms. Then there had been the incident when he knocked the guy over making a bread delivery, talk about embarrassing, but he had not given it much thought because when he had picked himself off of the ground he had noticed her grinning in his direction. He would make an ass out of himself for the rest of his life to see that smile again.

"What does she play? She is too thin to be a softball player and too short for basketball. Hmmm, does she run track or play soccer? I bet it is track her thighs are not scary big like some of the soccer girls." Peeta rambled on. "What's her name? You should introduce us."

"Whoa! Hold on big stuff. Home girl is not one of us by any means; in fact, she is a big book nerd. I met her in the Center for Athlete Academic success and she helped me with my Chemistry homework." Finnick supplied.

* * *

Katniss noticed the blue eyed man in deep conversation with Finnick Odair. 'Fantastic. My eye stalker is definitely a loser if he hangs with Odair.' Katniss considered in her head. When Katniss was offered an upgrade from a regular dorm room to an apartment in the athletic dorms in exchange for tutoring she had been more than happy to get away from her terrifying roommate Johanna. Now that she had dealt with Odair and his cocky, arrogant pick up lines she considered that Johanna with her proclivity for being nude and noisy sex with strangers may have been a better arrangement. Katniss watched closely as a blonde with a knock out body placed a tray in front of bread boy taking in how he smiled and apparently thanked her and thought to herself 'he likes blondes doesn't he.'

"I didn't take you for the kind of girl to fall for Odair." Katniss' thoughts were interrupted by her new suite mate Rue. Rue gracefully slid into the booth beside Katniss and began to pick at the salad in front of her. "Just once I'd love some chicken or beef or something on the salad. They feed us rabbit food while the football gods like Odair get whatever they want." Rue mused.

Rue was a cheerleader and even though she was a freshman she had been chosen for the elite position of flyer because of her ability to fly gracefully like a bird during stunts. Although the girl was compact and lithe it appeared that the cheer coach was intent on preventing the famous freshmen fifteen and was controlling what the tiny girl consumed. Katniss was immediately taken with Rue. They had hit it off and where Johanna could be a bitch and quite disgusting she found herself becoming friends with Rue who was polite and took care of her stuff.

"Here take my chicken leg. I already had one and am stuffed." Katniss offers. "Oh, and I'm not interested in Odair. That guy is a tool I was just trying to figure out why bread boy keeps staring at me."

"You sure? I never get a whole leg to myself." Rue exclaims excitedly as she reaches for Katniss plate. "And, who is 'bread boy'? Are you talking about Peeta?"

* * *

"…and then home girl has the audacity to tell me that she will not be doing my homework for me and that she is only there to instruct me and HELP me." Peeta can't help but smile at himself as he listens to Finnick's rant about the beauty in the corner. "Can you believe her nerve? Help me? Puh-fucking-lease, either help me by getting on your knees or help me by doing my homework. Shit! What a bitch."

"Finnick!" Peeta insists, "Don't be such a poor sport and don't call her a bitch just because she wasn't interested in what you were offering. She probably just has taste."

"I'd like to give her a taste," Finnick retorts smiling, "but it appears that you may be more interested in Miss Katniss over there than I ever was so I guess I'll give you dibs."

Peeta was thoroughly irritated with Finnick referring to Katniss like she was some sort of possession or object that could be called dibs on but did not say anything. He already realized he was lucky that Finnick had thought he was joking around when he said not to call her a bitch. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off the current quarterback. He had to stay in Finnick's good graces if he expected to resume learning at his side when his knee was healed. Finnick was an amazing talent and could teach Peeta everything he needed to know to improve his game on the field. Curious as ever to find out more about the girl in the corner, but not wanting to let on that he was interested in knowing her and not just hooking up , Peeta decided to play along and let Finnick think his interest was purely out of the desire to get off. "Did you say, Katniss? Like the water plant?"

"I guess, I don't know what a water plant is but her name is Katniss and this is all that I know about her," Finnick raises his hand and starts flicking his fingers as he enunciates each point, "she smells really fucking good, her ass is heavenly, she talks with a drawl but not like country folk from around here like from somewhere else, she is freakishly good at chemistry, and I would like to play bad librarian with her but don't worry I'll leave that up to you." Finnick sighs deeply and then adds, "oh and home girl is wound tighter than a god damn yo-yo, so good luck to you."

* * *

"Did you say, Peeta? Like the bread?" Katniss questions Rue. "How do you know him?"

Rue looks up from her chicken leg and replies, "I don't like, know him but more like know of him. He plays football with Thresh except he isn't on the defensive line. Yes. His name is Peeta but not P-I-T-A like the bread but P-E-E-T-A. I forget you aren't from around here but he was a pretty big Friday night hero in high school." Katniss stares at Rue, waiting for more information so the small girl continues, "He is the supposed high school star that Thresh tackled and tore up his leg pretty bad."

Katniss made a face at Rue as she remembered earlier this week when Rue's boyfriend Thresh had shown up late and looking upset. He had laid his head in Rue's tiny lap and quietly told them about the nice kid he had tackled and accidently injured. Katniss remembered thinking how considerate the gentle giant had seemed and offered that she hoped the aspiring quarterback was okay. Recalling the story she instantly thought the same sentiment again. She hoped he would be okay and his career and scholarship was not lost.

Katniss surprised herself by looking away at Rue, immediately drawn to the blue eyes staring at the side of her face and made intentional eye contact with him. Her heart betrayed her and immediately started racing and her face flushed. 'What is it about bread boy? Why do I even care? '

* * *

Peeta could not believe it when Katniss turned his way. Surely she had not heard them talking about her, he would be devastated if she had heard what Finnick was saying. 'What is it about her? Why am I drawn to her?' He asked himself quietly before breaking into a grin. Katniss broke eye contact almost immediately, never returning the smile and leaving Peeta to wonder, 'Do I even have a chance?'


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or character of THG. I am not profiting from this fan fiction in any way.**

* * *

Music blared in the background. A ridiculous party beat that was meant to encourage participants to dance and 'let loose on the floor.' All it made Peeta want to do was let his stomach contents loose on the floor. Well, it may have been the pounding music in his head or it could have been the massive amounts of everclear infused fruit punch that made Peeta want to throw up. Either way, Peeta's green face and incoherent speech patterns made Finnick realize that vomiting was inevitable and he did not want to deal with it tonight.

Finnick liked his future replacement and had just wanted to show him a good time, help him loosen up and live a little. Ever since the discussion about the Chemistry tutor Finnick had noticed that Peeta spent a lot of time in the tutoring center despite being a pretty decent student. He wanted Peeta to take advantage of all the cleat chasers at this party and forget the uptight girl with the braid. What he did not anticipate was the fact that Peeta was a lightweight. The kid was a solid 200+ pounds, how was Finnick to know that he couldn't handle a lady drink. One thing Finnick did know was that he did not want to play nurse maid all night when he was certain he could go home with one of the girls trailing him around the party. Coach would have his hide if he knew he drug the freshmen out, got him drunk and then ditched him. Good thing, Finnick, had something up his sleeve. A little trick he had learned back when he was a freshman. Finnick searched the party for a particular blonde that he knew couldn't turn him down. "Glimmer, yo girl c'mere."

* * *

Katniss' eyes shot open. She was literally panting and sweating in bed, despite the cool evening and open window. 'What the hell is wrong with me!' she thought to herself. 'Was I really just dreaming about my eye stalker?' Embarrassed she realized how wet she was between her thighs and how erratic her heartbeat had become. She glanced over to her roommate's empty bed and realized the girl must still be out. Lying back down on the mattress, she skimmed a hand down her chest and over her nipples. Realizing they had pebbled and were prominent through her thin camisole, Katniss, hesitantly raised her hand back up to her left nipple and tugged at it. A shiver ran through her body as she started to recall her dream starring the football star, Peeta Mellark.

* * *

"Finnick! It's been ages!" exclaimed the voluptuous blonde wearing a sheer top. "I've missed you." She cooed in his ear while simultaneously nibbling on his ear lobe. "Up for a good time?"

Finnick took notice of the girl's pink nipples pushing through her top and contemplated changing the plan before whispering, "Actually, sweetness I am in need of a big favor. See that blonde guy over there with the leg brace? That is the famous Peeta Mellark. I know you've heard of him. All-state quarterback two years in a row, arm like a fucking rocket, and all around golden boy." Glimmer looked over at Peeta and nodded her head furiously.

Finnick could tell by the lack of recognition in her eyes that Glimmer had never heard of Peeta, but it did not matter to her. Finnick had painted Peeta as someone of importance and that description alone made Glimmer want to know him better. "Any chance you could make sure that he gets home okay and has a good time? I would do it myself but my Momma is visiting tomorrow and I need to be up early to take her to breakfast."

* * *

The dream had been a hot one and Katniss was not sure where it came from. Katniss Everdeen did not have dreams about sexy strangers and she certainly did not touch herself. Katniss did not consider herself a prude by any means, she was just sure that the whole sex thing was not for her. Gale had touched her and she had touched Gale. She was pretty sure she liked it and being touched had made her feel good and tingly. However, she wasn't sure what the big deal was with touching and she really did not understand the appeal of having a finger stuck inside her. It felt awkward and uncomfortable and she was pretty sure there was no way that could cause the 'quivers' as Johanna had said. That had not prevented Gale from trying and she fondly remembered the times he and her had spent fumbling around working towards something that they never quite achieved, a orgasm for Katniss.

Something about Peeta had awakened a naughty streak in Katniss and it completely mortified her. She never allowed Gale to go there so why was she dreaming about having Peeta's face buried in between her legs. It left her wet and wanting for something she didn't have the capability to put to words. Katniss slipped a curious hand underneath the band of her sleep trunks. 'A little touching never killed anyone.' She justified to herself as she slowly stroked from top to bottom. She gasped out loud, grateful her roommate was apparently staying elsewhere tonight, the tension building and building. She tentatively raised a hand to her chest and began thumbing her nipple while stroking herself. Peeta Mellark had a strange influence over Katniss and it scared her that a man she had never officially met could leave her in such an excitable state.

* * *

Getting Peeta into her car had been a struggle but that was nothing compared to getting him up the steps of the athletic dorms. He was pretty lethargic and definitely spent from heaving out of her car window. "Peeta baby, which one is your room?" Glimmer questioned at the base of the elevator.

"I dunno. Where is your room?" Peeta slurred as he looked up at her with unsteady, bloodshot eyes. Peeta's blonde hair was matted to his forehead with what Glimmer hoped was just sweat and not leftover stomach contents. Realizing this was as far as their night would go was a disappointment to Glimmer. Fucking Finnick had not got her anywhere because she was just one of many but getting with Peeta was a whole different scenario. Peeta seemed like a pretty innocent kid with big potential of going somewhere. Sleeping with a sweet guy like Peeta could definitely turn into a relationship. If this kid was as good as Finnick made him out to be then that meant a relationship with him was definitely a status booster. Maybe not this season but definitely next season Glimmer could just imagine the season tickets and perks of dating a Vols star!

"We are going back to my room, Peeta baby. I'm going to shower you and put you to bed." Glimmer mused. The goal was to sober Peeta up enough to blow him. He definitely did not seem up to sex tonight with his bum leg and drunken state but going down on him would definitely make him remember her. Glimmer prided herself on her amazing ability to give head. In her mind, it was that ability that would land her the coveted role of trophy wife.

When they finally made it up to Glimmer's room she hastily stripped his clothes off of him and sat Peeta in the shower while she goes through her nightly routine. Leaving his clothes on the floor she drug Peeta to her room and put him in her bed naked. She tried to get him hard but Peeta kept mumbling about sleep and feeling sick. He wouldn't remember what they did anyways. An alarm for her early morning session with her physical trainer pulled Glimmer out of bed early. Leaving Peeta nude to make his own assumptions she left a vague note thanking him for his time on top of his clothes.

* * *

Katniss wakes when her roommate's alarm sounded in the morning but she did not get up until she was sure the blonde bitch was gone. Crawling slowly out of bed, Katniss noticed the lump underneath the covers and made a disgusted snort. Typically her roommate did not bring guys back like Johanna had instead preferring to regal Katniss and their suitemates, Rue and Madge, with her whoring ways in the morning. Katniss stepped out of the room to take a shower but stopped to talk to Madge who was having breakfast at the table. "Guess who has a visitor in their room? Sure you don't want to trade me spots. I just know how you LOVE waking up to strangers in the bed beside you." Katniss joked.

"Thanks girl, but I'll pass. It's practically like having a room all to myself with all the nights Rue stays with Thresh."

"I'm going to shower and hope that lover boy in there makes his way out before I have to ask him to leave."

"Ah, well in that case I think I'll finish this cereal in my bedroom. Thanks for the heads up."

* * *

Peeta woke to a pounding headache, blurry vision, rolling stomach, and cotton mouth. 'Where the hell am I?' he thinks while noticing the bright pink bedspread and fluffy pillows. His knee is aching and throbbing from not being elevated while he slept and it takes everything Peeta has to roll over without becoming sick. As he is pulling himself up to a sitting position he hears the click of the doorknob turning. Vaguely registering that someone has entered the room, Peeta notices that he is completely naked except for his leg brace. 'What the fuck! Whose room is this? I hope to god it is Delly's room.' The thoughts pounded through his head interrupted by a soft, feminine sound at the door.

* * *

A barely audible gasp escapes Katniss' lips as she realizes who is in Glimmer's bed. It is the man from her wet dream the night before, Peeta Mellark. The man she touched and teased herself thinking about last night. She is overcome with anger and sadness as she pulls her eyes from the carpet to meet his.

* * *

Hearing the gasp Peeta turns to see who has entered the room. To his delight and surprise it is Katniss Everdeen, the girl who he has desperately been trying to meet. She is wearing a robe and her hair is wet from the shower making him wonder about last nights activities. It makes his heart hurt to realize he does not remember what transpired between them or even meeting her last night. He feels small excitement at the fact that she must be interested in him if they spent the night together. Before he can find the words he is desperately searching for, his heart is broken by what she has to say to him.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for the great feedback. Per reader suggestion I removed italics denoting dialogue. Thank you very much I think that it improved the readability of the story. Please let me know if you guys have any other criticisms because I know that I am making mistakes but can't fix them if no one points them out.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or characters of THG and am not profiting from this fan fiction.**

* * *

A week later, Katniss' words were still continually on repeat in Peeta's head, _"Can't resist a blonde, can you?"_ Watching film with the team on Sunday, _"Can't resist a blonde, can you?"_ Eating lunch with his dad on campus on Wednesday, "_Can't resist a blonde, can you?"_ Gassing mice and checking O2 levels in Biology lab, _"Can't resist a blonde, can you?"_ Standing on the Vols sideline during senior night, _"Can't resist a blonde, can you?"_

Peeta was not sure what hurt worse. The brief flash of pain in Katniss' eyes before her aggressive assertion about his presumed preference for blondes had pulled at his heartstrings. Did he imagine a glimpse of something deeper? Was it residual alcohol in his system that caused him to believe Katniss was hurt, or, had she actually been wounded upon finding him in her roommate's bed? Then he had to contend with the very real possibility that, despite not remembering it, he may have fooled around with Glimmer.

Surely not, he reasoned with himself. He did not even remember meeting the girl, let alone getting naked with her. Plus, he was not completely convinced that he could really partake in much sexual activity with his knee in the shape it was. What he did know without a doubt, was that waking up in Glimmer and Katniss' suite had made his life exponentially more difficult.

"Finnick, man, you gotta do something about Glimmer. I mean every-FUCKING-where I go there she is. It's like she GPS tracks my underwear or something and girl is crazy. Katniss is never going to believe there isn't something going on between us if she is always with me." Peeta fumed over dinner in the dining hall. "Hello? Earth to Finnick! Put your cell phone away and help me, old man."

Smiling to himself, Finnick pressed send and put his cell phone on the table beside his tray. "Mellark, listen to yourself. I hate to break it to you but you are acting pretty pathetic. Katniss could give two shits about you and whether or not you introduced Glimmer to 'Little Mellark.' Which begs the question, why in the world did you not take Glimmer for a test drive?" Finnick shook his head. "Hmmmm, mmmmm, Glimmer has a mouth like a Hoover. Seriously, girl is talented. If I wasn't with Annie I would totally buy another ticket to that ride."

* * *

"Katniss?" Rue had peeked her head through the door into Katniss and Glimmer's bedroom. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the dining hall with us? You have been living off of cereal for a week now."

"Uh, yeah I'm like swamped with this midterm paper. Go ahead without me." Katniss peered at the blank computer screen. The only thing open was iTunes and she had been repeatedly listening to an old Guster album. The music eased the irritation in her soul. Irritated and angry were the two things that Katniss had been since the previous Sunday morning.

While it was irritating to have a nude man in your room what bothered Katniss the most was that she could not figure out why seeing Peeta in Glimmer's bed had hurt her. When she realized it was _her _bread boy in the blonde whore's bed, her stomach had bottomed out. That, above all other things, pissed her off immensely. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that Peeta was nothing to her it did not matter because there was no denying she was attracted to him.

He had been naked with nothing but a sheet covering his manhood. When Katniss closed her eyes she replayed the image of Peeta stationed on the edge of Glimmer's bed. The early morning light had played across his chest highlighting a light dusting of fair chest hair. His stomach was deeply contoured and he had the most delectable trail of golden hair dipping beneath the sheet on his lap. 'Oh my god,' Katniss thought to herself, 'I've never seen arms like that in person.' Having Peeta nearly naked in her room reminded her of the Abercrombie & Fitch bags she would collect and ogle at when she was fourteen. Katniss had spent the week avoiding Peeta during the day. Taking her meals in her suite and only leaving for work and class. But there was no avoiding Peeta in the dreams that were plaguing her at nighttime.

"Katniss? Madge and I brought you back something to eat. We thought it was time for a girl intervention!" Rue practically squealed from outside her door. "Can we come in?" As Katniss pulled the door open, Rue babbled on, "I have a feeling this is about a boy! You haven't told us ANYTHING about your love life but you know all about ours so it is time to spill."

Madge interjected, "The midterm was due a week ago and I know you aced it so no more using homework as an excuse. Especially when Thresh scored Rue some booze!" she ended with a grin.

"Is this about the guy in all your pictures? The guy back in Oklahoma, you know the one who appears to be all dark and mysterious in photo form but obviously in love with you. Spill it!" Rue jabbed a finger at Katniss' bulletin board with her pictures from back home. Smiling back at Katniss is a picture of her and Gale from when she bagged her first buck. They are both beaming and holding up the buck's rack in place for the camera.

"No. It's not about Gale. He was my best friend and kinda my first boyfriend but I haven't thought of him much since the first few weeks here. I miss his friendship and being outdoors with him but this has nothing to do with him." Katniss glanced back at the photograph and then lowered her head before continuing. "I, uh well, hmmm. It's just, I um, well," she stared at her feet and blushed furiously before she spat out, "I think I may be sexually frustrated."

* * *

More haunting than Katniss' taunt about Peeta's imagined preference for blondes was how gorgeous she had looked with her hair damp and body barely concealed. He laid back on his bed and tried desperately to remember what she had smelled like freshly showered. She had smelled clean and fresh and her body wash was not cloying or floral like so many girls preferred. Instead it reminded him of lying on crisp sheets pulled straight from the dryer. 'If only she were here laying with me now,' he thought to himself. Peeta found himself growing hard as he imagined how her hair would fan out around her and how beautiful she would look as she reached for him. He grasped himself and started to slowly stroke as he continued to imagine what it would be like to touch Katniss and be touched by her. 'What does her come face look like? Does she make noise or remain silent?" Peeta thought to himself as he tugged and pulled himself closer to release. As he increased speed and friction, Peeta's thoughts were pulled into a deeper part of his subconscious as he imagined licking and kissing Katniss in her most intimate places. Images of his head buried deep between Katniss' legs pushed him over the edge as he came hard all over his stomach. As he cleaned himself up, he realized that admiring the girl of his dreams from afar was not going to cut it. He needed to take action now if he wanted to win her over.

* * *

Rue held a hand over her mouth stifling a giggle, "Oh my God! You are a virgin." Rue passed the bottle of cheap strawberry wine to Madge before she started rolling around on the ground in a full blown laughing fit.

"Katniss Everdeen you never cease to surprise me! Now, now Rue, don't judge! There is absolutely nothing wrong with being pure. You've done other stuff, right? Like did Gale ever go down on you or you on him?" Madge asked.

"Um no. That is like way disgusting." Katniss retorted as she pulled a deep drink off the bottle. "Okay, well there was this one time when we were fooling around and he kept like pushing it up towards my face so I kissed the tip. That counts, right?"

From her position of the floor, Rue chortles, "HA! You like just pecked the tip. Poor Gale! No, that does not count as giving head. Take another drink."

"What the fuck did he say to that?" Madge pestered. "I have to know. You practically gave his dick a kiss on the cheek."

"He was all like, 'uh yeah, baby' and kept thrusting it up at my face. It was so weird. So, I pretended to remember that I had left my flat iron on at home and needed to be home immediately. I didn't mind touching him and I really liked it when he touched me. It just never felt like the right time to go further." The wine had started to influence Katniss so she put a fake pout on her face before continuing, "Then the one time I tried to have sex with him he turned me down flat. That's when I decided sex wasn't for me. But now, I can't stop dreaming about bread boy. I think I'm horny for him. That's what you say when you want to have sex with someone, right? I know I'm 'pure' and all but I'm also horny."

Madge and Katniss busted up laughing at the word 'horny' and were cracking up so hard that they did not realize Rue texting on the floor. Madge threw an arm around Katniss, "sounds like it's not that sex isn't for you but that Gale just was not the right person. You need to talk to bread boy and see if the chemistry is deeper than just dirty dreams and 'horniness.' I really don't think anything is going on with him and Glimmer and the way he looks at you is obvious he is probably hot for you too."

"Room 437!" Rue shouted. "Let's go!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" both Katniss and Madge asked in unison.

"Katniss' chance with bread boy, duh! You are always so quiet but right now you are so loose and relaxed this is the perfect time to go talk to Peeta." Rue put her phone in Katniss' face. "See. I texted Thresh and he said Peeta is in room 437. He also said that Peeta is way nice and only ever had one girlfriend and she dumped him and Peeta is not the type of guy who takes advantage of a silly, drunk, girl from Oklahoma."

"Ohmigod. Idea of the night goes to Rue!" Madge exclaims as Katniss peered at both girls wearily.

* * *

Peeta read the text from his teammate, Thresh, "Gave my girlfriend your room number for her roommate, Kat." As he went to reply and ask who 'Kat' was he was interrupted by a commotion at his door. Lots of boisterous laughter and knocking on the other side announced the arrival of 'Kat' and several friends he assumed. He peered a leery blue eye through the peephole and it was met with one steel grey eye. His heart stopped. 'Kat' was none other than Katniss. His Katniss, the Katniss he had just rubbed one out to. 'Oh fuck. Here goes nothing.' He thought to himself as he pulled open the door wearing nothing but some low slung athletic shorts and his walking brace.

"Wow. You are a walking wet dream, nice to meet you bread boy." Madge boldly announced as she helped Katniss and Rue to a standing position.

Rue turned to Madge, "Well our work here is done. I think I'll make my way down to Thresh's he had some more wine. You coming?"

"Ah, perfect idea." Madge responded as she grasped Rue's hand and walked down the corridor.

Peeta and Katniss stared at each other. The tension in the air was palpable. Peeta thought that Katniss was perhaps the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon. He willed her to speak first and announce why she was there but it was as if the petite girl was suddenly stricken dumb. "I uh, well…" stammered Peeta, "um, I want you to know that nothing happened between me and Glimmer. She just took me home." Katniss remained silent. "You know, uh, my name is Peeta and I know your name. I knew it before I woke up in your room. Uh, sorry about that. It's just I was drunk and I don't usually drink but Finnick…and well, nothing happened between me and Glimmer. It was…"

* * *

Katniss cut Peeta off with her lips. She crushed her body to his as she stood on her highest tippy toes to reach his lips. Stunned, it took Peeta awhile to respond but when he did it was whole heartedly. She smelled like clean linen and tasted like cheap wine. Peeta parted his lips and pulled on her bottom lip with his teeth and Katniss granted him full access to her mouth.

Katniss was not sure if it was the sight of Peeta in the low slung shorts or the mild alcohol buzz she had going but something had propelled her straight to Peeta and caused her to take his mouth with her own. Instead of being what she needed to quell the hunger inside her, kissing Peeta had opened another door entirely. Katniss craved the feeling of Peeta's body pushed up against her. She did not think it was possible for them to be any closer but she planned on trying. All that mattered in that moment was getting as close to Peeta as physically possible. She grinded up into him and pushed her body against him kissing him hard, hot, and heavy.

* * *

Despite his best efforts the two had never been properly introduced but here she was sucking his face like her life depended on it. 'Too fast. This is too goddamned fast. Stop. Make myself stop. STOP.' Peeta pulled his lips away from Katniss and as difficult as it was he tried to put some space between him and her. "Katniss." Peeta spoke to initiate a discussion but instead the sound of her name on his lips incited the fire in Katniss more and she pressed forward and tried to align their mouths again. "This is too fast, slow down. I want this to happen but not like this. You've been drinking and I haven't gotten to explain the whole Glimmer thing. Please," Peeta pleaded, "let me get dressed and we can grab some coffee or tea. See! I don't even know if you prefer coffee or tea or what your favorite color is."

* * *

Katniss withdrew at Peeta's words. Her mind twisted them into something he did not intend. She played his words off of an old wound. 'He doesn't want me. Just like Gale. I threw myself at him. I'm not blonde.' Katniss thought incorrectly to herself. Not hearing a word he had said about wanting to get to know her, actually liking her, Katniss had focused on the fact that he had pulled away. Turning she opened the door and flew down the hall before Peeta could get another word it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the characters from THG.**

* * *

Katniss breathed a deep sigh of relief as she opened the door to her suite and let herself in. Since the encounter with Peeta, Katniss was having a difficult time sleeping as her mind raced over and over again through the scene she had caused in Peeta's entryway. She had put herself out there and had been shot down. Peeta's rejection had stung badly and she wanted to run away and forget the whole thing, however, her body was betraying her. Every time she closed her eyes or fell asleep, her mind dwelled on the way his massive hands had felt on her hips as he pulled her to him. The amazing feeling of his damp curls running through her fingertips and how delicious he smelled straight out of the shower. What got to her the most was the thought of how turned on she had been when she realized it was his manhood, growing and lengthening, that she had felt pressing into her through his low slung sweats.

Hearing Katniss' arrival, Rue yelled out from her bedroom, "Katniss, there was another surprise for you on the door when I got back from practice so I brought it in a put it on your bed."

Another thing, entirely different from the thoughts and dreams haunting her were the presents. Peeta had been leaving little notes and goodies on Katniss' door. "Okay, open it up. Smells good and if it's anything like those heavenly cupcakes he left yesterday I am totally in on it." Rue pestered from Katniss' doorway.

"Here," Katniss tossed the small package to Rue, "have at them."

"Don't you want to know what it is?" asked the small girl. Katniss had a pretty good guess as to what the package held. Blonde brownies, peanut butter cookies, carrot cake cupcakes topped with cream cheese icing and blueberry muffins were some of the previous offerings that Peeta had left for her. It was like the harder that Katniss tried to block Peeta out of her mind the more he pushed back with desserts. The desserts were delicious and all appeared to be homemade, which was weird in itself. 'What kind of man bakes?' Katniss thought to herself when she opened the first package. Blonde brownies packed tightly into a tin with a note that said, "These are the only blondes I'm into. Let's talk- PM." The man infuriated her, agitated her, and was frustratingly intrigued her. She had to get him out of her head so she did the first thing that came to mind, she had called Gale.

* * *

"I don't get it, Mellark. Yeah sure, Katniss is a hot piece of ass but you are trying way too hard." Finnick groaned through the effort of the weights he was benching. "Go out and get laid. Kill two birds with one stone. You release a little tension and make her really fucking jealous and she comes begging at your doorstep. If the second part doesn't work out then, fuck it, you got laid."

Peeta rolled his eyes. He was constantly rolling his eyes at Finnick and his bothersome advice as to how to best handle the Katniss situation. "Fantastic advice, I mean just really stellar Finnick. All I have to do is having sex with someone else and wave this fact in Katniss' face and she will be all over me."

"Well when you put it that way it makes even more sense. I am a goddamn genius. Be glad I'm in your life Mellark; consider yourself lucky not everyone has access to such an amazing mind." Finnick groaned in exertion, "I'm done." Finnick pushed the bar up towards Peeta who helped him lock it in place. "I'm just saying you have given her all the power. You are showering her with baked goods and notes and home girl is just fucking ignoring you. I think that is a sign you should pay attention too."

Peeta considered Finnick's words and they really resonated with Peeta because he had questioned the same thing. But, it was the look that Katniss had flashed him when he was slowing her down that screamed that she had felt hurt and rejected. That look killed him. How could she not realize how much he wanted her in that moment? He had wanted her so badly he was positive she had felt his want pushing into her. If he could just get her alone and talk to her, without the influence of wine, he could make her see he just knew it.

"Thresh," Peeta hollered at the giant, defensive linemen in the back of the weight room, "Thresh, hey man can I get a sec? I want to ask you something about Katniss."

* * *

Talking to Gale had made Katniss realize how much she missed Oklahoma and her family and friends. It had been months since she had been out of the city and into nature. Katniss had her selfish reasons for calling Gale. Before they got off the phone, Gale had quietly admitted how much he loved and missed her. It was wrong of Katniss to use him for this but it was what she needed. Peeta may not want her but someone did and that made Katniss feel infinitely better. She needed to get out of her head. Katniss decided to join Rue and Madge for movie night in the living room that connected the bedrooms. She grabbed some marshmallow popcorn and a couple of cans of Dr. Pepper and headed their way.

"Are we feeling sappy or silly?" Madge asked Katniss holding up a copy of _Bridesmaids_ in one hand and _The Notebook_ in another.

"Um, definitely not _The Notebook_ and I don't know if I'm in the mood for jokes about pooping and stilted sex lives. How about _The Lion King_?" Katniss postured as Madge and Rue groaned and shook their heads.

While shaking her head, Madge scolded Katniss, "You watch that movie constantly. Seriously, Katniss I can't handle anymore Elton John and animation. I get it that is your go-to when times are tough but we aren't six anymore and Simba isn't going to make you forget about bread boy. Right, Rue?" Madge tossed a glance at Rue who was texting furiously on the couch, "Rue! Earth to Rue! You agree, right? Only big girl movies tonight."

Rue looked up from her phone and surprised Madge by saying, "_The Lion King_ is fantastic. Love that movie with the monkey but I really want a sweet tea, Katniss if you run down to the snack bar really quick and grab me one I'll pop the popcorn and Madge will set the movie up." Madge looked at Rue questioningly but Rue smiled and nodded reassuringly.

* * *

Katniss rounded the corner and a smiled played across her face as she heard the familiar DVD menu music of her favorite disc. When Katniss opened the door she was greeted by a pair of familiar blue eyes. "Before you run away or get pissed at your friends just hear me out." Peeta calmly asked.

"What are you doing here?" Katniss fumed.

"I want to get to know you." Peeta paused to gauge Katniss' reaction before continuing, "You fascinate me. I'm tired of being a voyeur. Every single thing I know about you I know from observation or other people."

Katniss stared at him wearily, "I'm sorry. I don't date."

"But you attack guys in their bedroom with your mouth?" Peeta cheekily replied.

"I, uh, I…don't hold that against me. That was a mistake. I had a lapse in judgment." Katniss retorted.

Peeta winced at an imaginary blow and closed the distance between him and Katniss, "You really think it was a mistake?" He noticed the way that Katniss' body inclined itself towards him. "You kissing me was not a mistake. It was a lot of things. It was hot. It was foolish. It was intense. But, it was never a mistake." Peeta willed Katniss to touch him, pull him into her, and let him know that they were on the same page. But, she didn't so he backed away from her. "Let's be friends and go from there. Everyone can use another friend and I know for a fact that I am a great friend."

Katniss weighed this request internally. To be friends insinuated spending time together and getting to know him and she did not know if she was ready for this. Last time she was friends with a guy it had blown up in her face. She could not repeat another Gale situation, however, Peeta enthralled her. "Just friends. We ignore the other night and move forward?" Katniss stared Peeta straight into the eye. "I won't have sex with you; in fact, I won't have sex with anyone."

"I'm not asking you to have sex with me. Geez, is this how they do it back home? You have to negotiate your friendships and make decisions whether or not the relationship will be sexual." Peeta teased and moved on switching to another subject, "By the way, I know you're not from around here your accent is different. Where are you from?"

"I'm from a small town in the panhandle of Oklahoma." Answering Peeta's question but sticking to her guns, Katniss stammered, "well I know all about you football players and your friends with benefits. I won't be one of those friends."

Peeta ached to pull her close and reassure her that it was never his intention to have her as that type of friend but decided on a joke to lighten the mood, "No worries in that department, you're not blonde!" Katniss could not believe he had actually said that but quickly realized he was joking from the grin spreading across his face.

"Har, har, har. Very funny, Mellark, it's ironic that you would say that because I don't like blondes either." Katniss' eyes gleamed at her attempt at humor and Peeta's heart skipped a beat. When her facial features played out in joy instead of the constant scowl she wore, Katniss was absolutely breathtaking.

"I hear that _The Lion King_ is on the agenda for tonight." Peeta patted a spot on the couch. "Are you joining me or am I watching it alone?"

* * *

Peeta was smitten. It had been three weeks since they had agreed to be friends and spending time with her almost every day had caused him to fall hard and fast for Katniss. The movie night had been perfect. He teased her when fat tears rolled from her eyes during Mufasa's death scene but in actuality it had warmed his heart to see the softer side of Katniss. They had so much in common and the more that she had opened up the harder he fell. He had learned that she was on a full ride scholarship for academics, which was really impressive. But, what blew his mind the most was that the sweet girl who cried over Mufasa loved to go deer hunting. She was perfect and he wanted her but he could not be sure if she felt the same way. They interacted like thirteen year olds with soft punches to the arms and play wrestling, but, never more than that. He wondered if it was a possibility that Katniss did these things for the same reason that he did which was to have an excuse to touch her.

Katniss felt at ease as she rested on the grass beside Peeta. He had brought her to the most beautiful place, packed a fantastic lunch, and had regaled her with football stories all afternoon. Everything about him was so ideal. She was torn between being grateful for such a positive influence in her life and being pissed that she had met him because she was quickly falling head over hills for him. He was athletic, he could create delicious baked goods, he was hilarious, he knew of and liked the same indie bands that she did, and he ultimately he was much too perfect for her. Katniss' thoughts were interrupted by Peeta sliding his arm underneath her neck. Her stomach flip flopped. She turned her head to look at him and they locked eyes.

"I was thinking a nap may be in order, Miss Everdeen." Peeta yawned and pulled her a little bit closer to him. They were not quite touching but they were a lot closer than they had been in the past few weeks. "You have to pretend to be my body pillow." He smiled from underneath his sleepy eyes.

Katniss could not stop herself as she reached a hand to his face and cradled his cheek. "Well of course, Mellark. I've can't believe how lucky I am that Peeta Mellark wants to snuggle with me." She attempted to tease but her voice betrayed how she really felt as it quivered on the word 'snuggle.' Peeta reached up and traced the lines of Katniss' cheek with one finger. It was more than she could take and her body took over and cleaned up towards him. Peeta's mouth met hers halfway. He pulled her flush against him as she timidly placed her lips on his. The kiss was gentle and soft. With slightly parted lips and cautious touches, Katniss and Peeta, shared a perfect moment underneath the shade of a lush green tree.

* * *

In the car ride back to campus not one word was spoken between Peeta and Katniss. Instead, he had reached across the console and held her hand the entire way home. He did not want to let go. When they arrived at the dorms and he pulled her to him for another kiss. He cradled her head with his hand as he explored her mouth with more force and passion than before. Peeta was terrified that when they went inside the moment would be forever gone. Katniss softly moaned as Peeta worked his way down her chin and to her ear, alternating between nibbling and licking softly. She pulled away abruptly and Peeta thought painfully to himself, 'Here it comes, the moment when she runs' failing to meet her eyes.

Surprising him, Katniss huskily suggested "Let's go to your room since you don't have a roommate." He kissed her again and then Peeta pulled Katniss from the car and into the building.

Katniss felt as though she was on fire. The gentle kiss on the blanket had incited a feeling of desire in her that she had not realized was possible. As his tongue slowly worked in tandem with hers Katniss felt her body melt away. She wanted him, badly. On the ride home she had not spoken a word out of fear of rejection. So, when he pulled her into a forceful kiss in the parking lot she knew it was now or never. If one encounter was all that came from this it did not matter she would deal with the consequences later because in this moment she needed Peeta. When she suggested going to his room she had every intention of giving herself completely to him. Upon entering his bedroom, Peeta sat on the edge of the bed and Katniss straddled him and wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him into a heated kiss. She was so wet with want that anytime she moved against him it created a delicious friction that caused her to moan into Peeta's mouth.

The heat emanating from Katniss was almost too much for Peeta to handle as she rubbed herself along his length that was straining his pants. Carefully, he rolled her onto the bed and lay beside her. His attempt to slow things down and catch his bearings was thwarted as Katniss moved to take her shirt off. She took his hand and slid it into the cup of her bra as she twined her legs around him again. The feeling of Katniss' soft breast in his hand coupled with the heat of her jeans rubbing against him was too much and Peeta quietly exclaimed, "Fuck!" as he spent himself inside his pants. Despite being already finished he was determined to not let this moment pass. Peeta rolled himself over the top of Katniss and kissed her deeply on the mouth. Working a hand down her body he caressed every inch of skin on her tight stomach before working his way back up to her breasts. He pulled the straps down and released both breasts. He pulled one into his mouth while using his thumb and forefinger to roll at the nipple on the other breast.

Katniss moaned deeply and Peeta could feel her hands tightly gripping his back. He was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her legs around him and started grinding into him. Motivated by her response to his suckling Peeta gently bit down on the nipple in his mouth while pulling harder on the other one with his fingers. Katniss whimpered and rolled her hips up into him once more. Peeta slid his hand down and undid the button and zipper to her jeans and cupped her heat through her underwear. "You are so wet. So, very wet." Peeta murmured to himself as he slipped a finger in between her folds and skimmed her sensitive bundle of nerves which caused Katniss to moan loudly and buck her hips into his hand. Peeta stopped the ministrations on Katniss' breast and raised himself to be face to face with her. "Is it okay, if I…?" He did not get a chance to finish his question as Katniss bucked her hips up into his hand again causing his finger to enter her. They both gasped audibly. Katniss was so much tighter than Peeta had expected and he briefly wondered at how experienced she was. He slowly started to work his thumb around in circles on her bundle of nerves while just making slight movements to stretch her with his finger. Suddenly, her walls clenched around him and Peeta looked up just in time to learn exactly what Katniss' come face looked like.

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**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. I appreciate them so much and I really need your feedback because I'm having a bit of a block with the plot line. In my outline, I had planned THE big first for this chapter but then felt like it was progressing way too quickly so I reworked it into several smaller (but incredibly significant) firsts. Something still feels off; let me know what you think. I'm up to suggestions and always appreciate criticism of the constructive variety.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from THG.**

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Katniss' eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. It was completely dark except for the soft, green glow of a computer screen across from the bed. Peeta's arm was wrapped around her mid section and he was holding her flush against his chest. His breathing was steady and shallow and his body was completely relaxed. Katniss realized this was her chance to leave. She had tried to exit his room shortly after their encounter but he had insisted they watch a movie and snuggle. At the time, Katniss had felt sticky, confused, physically spent, and emotionally charged. But, Peeta had pleaded for her to stay with him and not run away. Katniss had stayed because she felt like she owed him something. What she owed him she wasn't really sure of but she definitely felt like she had something to repay. She had sought to touch him and he had coyly denied her and asked her to just stay with him. How could she deny a request as simple as that? She did just that, she stayed wrapped in his arms watching a movie on the computer until they both fell asleep.

'That thing' (which was what Katniss was mentally refering to what Peeta had done to her) had been intense and felt amazing. It had also been little scary and overwhelming. She had never lost control like that and it scared and embarrassed her. Katniss face flushed in the darkness as she remembered Peeta whispering about how wet she had become. It mortified her to think that he had been so involved in her most intimate spot that he recognized how turned on she had been by basic kissing and fondling.

More than anything Katniss wanted a shower and some time to think about what all this meant. She needed to leave. Katniss thought of Madge and immediately wanted to talk to her. Madge could explain and rationalize 'that thing' that had happened between her and Peeta. She needed to form an escape plan and find Madge and talk this through.

* * *

Peeta could feel how tense Katniss' body had become. He knew she was awake and probably scheming her escape. He wasn't ready for her to leave when there was so much left unsaid between them. He was torn between respecting her wishes and giving her some space, or, holding her close and sliding his hand in her pants again. The way Katniss' had looked when he had worked her to a finish was priceless. It was sensual, rewarding, and perfect. Peeta started to grow hard just recalling it in his mind. It was now or never because Katniss would soon know he was awake. It would be hard to deny his alertness when he had a raging hard on pressing into her.

"It's the middle of the night. Please, just stay and have breakfast with me? " Peeta softly pleaded in her ear. "I have some questions for you and I'm afraid if we don't talk about this now you'll disappear from me again."

"I could just really use a shower." Katniss barked and it came out harsher and louder than she had intended and Peeta stiffened at her tone. "Uh, it's just that I am, um, kind of a mess."

"I think you look beautiful, Katniss." He pulled playfully on her hair. It had come loose from her braid and was framing her head on the pillow. "You should wear your hair down more often. It is really pretty this way."

Katniss let out a sigh as she realized Peeta had no clue what she was trying to say and grimaced as she said, "Well, I was kinda meaning that I was a mess in, uh, um, well, I'm a mess in my pants and it's uncomfortable." She sputtered while a deep flush spread from her chest to her cheeks.

* * *

Peeta did not know whether to be shocked or pleased by Katniss' discomfort. The way that she was stammering and reacting to talking about her bodily fluids, bodily fluids he had manipulated and used to her advantage just hours ago, concerned him. Did he just do something to her that someone had not done before? There was a small part of him that found this idea exciting, but, mostly he was concerned that in a moment of passion he had pushed something on Katniss that she was not completely ready for. He reached over and turned on the lamp beside the bed.

"Take a shower in my stall. When I blew my knee they moved me to this suite to recover and I have the most amazing shower and bath set up. Coach wanted to make sure I wouldn't do any more damage to myself trying to clean up so they put me in the rehabilitation suite." He paused to brush Katniss hair from her face. "I've got sweats and t shirts you can sleep in." Peeta did not allow her a chance to say no as he stood, took her hand, and pulled her to a standing position. He pulled necessities and a towel from his drawers before wrapping his arms around Katniss and resting his forehead against hers. "Use anything in there you need." He said while motioning towards the bathroom, "and then come out and talk to me. If after we talk you want to go back to your room I won't pester you anymore but I'd really like it if you stayed." He kissed her forehead as he released her.

* * *

Katniss shut the door behind her and leaned her forehead against the cool wood. 'What have I gotten myself into?' She thought as she squeezed the towel and clothes tight to her body. Everything that had happened between her and Peeta was far from her comfort zone. 'I am Katniss Everdeen. I am eighteen years old. I swore off relationships. I want to be an agricultural researcher and engineer new strains of grain.' She repeated to herself over and over in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

A knock on the door interrupted her mantra and Peeta's calm voice spoke to her through the door, "Are you okay in there? Need some help with the water?" Katniss quickly turned the water on, locked the door, peeled off her clothes, and climbed in the shower.

* * *

The hot water poured over Katniss' body and she felt herself relax. It was exactly what she had needed to clear her head. She reminisced about 'that thing' that Peeta had done to her and was not sure how she felt about it. Well, she knew how her body felt about it. It felt good, natural even and Katniss finally understood what all of the hype was about when it came to being touched down there. She reached for Peeta's soap and was amused to find that instead of 'Axe' or 'J. Crew' body wash he had a bar of what appeared to be a handmade soap that smelled of vanilla and sandalwood. As she lathered a wash rag and rinsed away the remnants of her activities with Peeta a thought occurred to her, 'that was an orgasm!'

Even though she had thought it in her head and there was not another person to see her there, Katniss raised a hand to her mouth. She could not believe that it took her so long to figure out and she was secretly pleased that she had not gotten to talk with Madge about it because the girl would never let it go.

Peeta had given her what Gale had worked so hard to but had failed at. 'I can't even make myself do that,' she mused to herself. Another realization dawned on Katniss and she was stunned at her lapse of understanding a few hours ago. 'Blame it on a first time orgasm to make my mind and emotions go crazy.' Katniss was now aware of the fact that she had left Peeta hot and bothered after her own release. She felt selfish and embarrassed. She knew he was aroused because she had felt it and grinded up into him. It had made her so hot to know that he was hard for her and it made her feel even hotter when the friction had started to build from grinding into him.

Katniss knew how to touch a man and she also knew from Gale that it could be uncomfortable to have an erection go untended too. But, Peeta had not pushed it or even required it of her when she half heartedly offered. A plan formed in Katniss' head as she rinsed off. She owed Peeta something big for the big thing that he had given her. Empowered by the thought of her orgasm earlier, Katniss dressed in Peeta's clothing and brushed and braided her hair in the mirror as she planned the things that she wanted to do Peeta.

* * *

"It's not fair." Peeta stated as Katniss entered his room after her shower.

Katniss faltered and secretly feared that Peeta had not been as understanding as she had originally thought, "What's not fair?" She stammered.

"It's not fair that you look about a thousand times better in my clothes than I do." Peeta's cheeks tinged pink as he stated what was on his mind. Peeta thought that Katniss always looked lovely. To him, she was especially entrancing with wet hair wearing his oversized clothing. She took his breath away.

"Katniss, I'm sorry about what I did." Peeta stared at his feet, unable to make eye contact, "I let the moment get away from us and I don't ever want to push you into something you don't want. I'm so sorry. I can see why you want to leave but I promise you I'm not that guy. I respect you and I'll respect any boundaries you set. I promise you." He raised his head to make eye contact with her, "Please know that I'm sorry and I don't want you to leave."

"Why are you sorry? It was…" Katniss' voice drifted off as she attempted to find the best adjective to describe what 'that thing' was. "It was amazing." She softly concluded as she closed the distance between them and took his hand in hers. "If you think that was something you have to apologize for than I really need to get on your bad side." Katniss joked trying to lighten the mood. She needed Peeta to lighten up and relax if she was ever going to get to repay him for the delicious thing he had done to her earlier.

Peeta raised Katniss' hand to his mouth and gently kissed her knuckles, "Katniss, not that it matters, but, how far have you gone in the bedroom?" He noticed Katniss' cheeks flush as she tore her hand from his.

Katniss' eyes flashed anger, "Was it that obvious? Sorry I sucked at being sexy and shit like that. I fucking tried to get you off, Mellark, but you declined? Was I so bad and inexperienced that I turned you off? And, to think I felt bad for leaving you that condition." She grabbed for her shoes and clothing.

"Whoa! You are such a goddamned firecracker Katniss. Any time I try to talk about anything you always presume you know where I am going and cut me off. Why do you always assume the worst?" Peeta fumed back at Katniss. "I just want to know how far you've been so I don't push anything you're not ready for. For fuck's sake, I'm looking out for you." He ran an unsteady hand through his hair. "Oh, and no worries about leaving me with blue balls I blew it in my pants." Katniss' eyes widened at Peeta's admission as he ranted on," You really don't get how you affect people, do you?"

Peeta and Katniss stood staring at each other for awhile each one willing the other to speak up first. It was Katniss who broke the ice. "I had a high school boyfriend. We touched each other. He tried what you did and it did not work for me like how you made it work for me. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think I catch your drift. He never made you come before?" Peeta questioned but before Katniss could answer he asked, "So, you're a virgin?"

Katniss nodded her head in assent and stared intently at an imaginary spot on the carpet when she answered, "I've never even made myself do what you did."

Peeta felt a rush of heat spread through his body as it reacted to Katniss' admission. He had been the first person to make Katniss experience complete pleasure. There was no way he was letting this woman run out of his life now. It was a 'proceed with caution' type of moment as Peeta realized what a delicate situation being with Katniss was. A relatively untouched girl stood before him and it was his job to protect and guide her into unfamiliar territory. He would not be pushing anything on her. Touching and caressing was as far as he would go. He would let her set the pace. Peeta reached a hand to her face and used his finger to force Katniss into connecting eyes with him, "Well, now that I am here there is no need to do anything to yourself anymore."

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**A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback! When I re-read I often find mistakes (even though I proof and re-proof like crazy) and it is kind of embarassing but you all have been so kind with reviews anyway. As many of you may notice I have taken what you said into consideration. **

**Let me know what you think about this latest chapter. I wanted to retain Katniss' feisty and fiery nature but also wanted a touch of fluff.**

**Thank you again for all the kind words!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from THG. Also, I do not own or benefit from Facebook or Pandora I just borrowed them for my story.**

**_Warning_: I am aware of the hoopla surrounding the crackdown on explicit fics. I do not believe my M rated story is overtly explicit (I like to think of it as tasteful.) I understand that the definition of what is explicit is different from person to person so know that there is some sexual interaction in this chapter. I don't find it explicit but my grandma probably would (then again she thinks that most Disney shows are too explicit). That being said, if you do find this to be explicit let me know because I don't want my story removed when I could just alter it.**

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"Ohmigod!" Glimmer heard Rue shriek loudly, "Everdeen, are you on the tail end of a walk of shame?" The voluptuous blonde rolled her eyes. Her suitemates were a constant source of irritation for her. When they had first moved in she had been excited at the promise of having a cheerleader for a roommate. _Everyone_ knows that cheerleaders are like a lifeline to the football team but Glimmer was quickly disappointed in the waif like flyer. Rue was more interested in hanging with her boyfriend and Madge. As a tennis player, Madge had nothing to offer Glimmer except the occasional piece of wardrobe swiped from Madge's closet while the girl was out.

_'Wonder what sideshow the braided freak is banging.'_ Glimmer thought to herself. Of all her suitemates, her roommate, Katniss Everdeen had been the biggest disappointment of them all. Glimmer found Katniss to be rude, uptight and extremely weird. To Glimmer's dismay Katniss had hung pictures of dead animals and all her loser family and friends around their room. Katniss rarely wore make up or fun clothing and always had a perpetual line of dirt under her fingernails from whatever she did at work. Glimmer had begun to really question if Katniss could possibly be a lesbian or celibate or something because she had never seen Katniss with a man except for the gorgeous dark headed guy that starred in Katniss' photographs. Glimmer had noticed Katniss Skyping with the guy and had taken a few messages for Katniss from him when the dark headed girl had been out.

The odds had definitely not been in Glimmer's favor when she was paired with Katniss. Where Glimmer had chosen a chic bedspread spotlighted in the Seventeen college edition, Katniss had shown up with a green plaid comforter that looked like it had seen better days. Instead of sharing clothes and stories of sexcapades they exchanged awkward stares and the occasional cereal bar.

Her train of thought was broken as Katniss opened the door and eased into the room. The girl looked like she had been worked over. Katniss' hair showed all the signs of the type of bed head one gets from a night spent rolling around with someone else. _'Probably a softball player.'_ Glimmer mused to herself until she realized what Katniss was wearing. The braided freak, her weirdo roommate and all around oddball was wearing official UT football sweats. _'What the fuck!'_ Glimmer glared at Katniss as she took in the sight of Katniss in the grey sweats. Glimmer seethed, she had been vying for the ability to snatch a pair from a football player. It was well known that sweats were a perk for football players to receive and any girl wearing them was the marked girlfriend of a football player. On the left hip was a screen printed number and last name. _'That bitch is wearing Peeta Mellark's sweats.'_ She thought angrily to herself as she balled her hands into fists at her side. _'No fucking way she wins him over me. No fucking way.'_

* * *

"Katniss, I know you don't want to hear this, but…" Madge emphasized heavily on the word 'but' before continuing, "You really need to ask him to get tested before you guys mess around again."

"What do you mean when you say tested?" Katniss queried.

Madge smiled brightly at Katniss as she replied, "You know like tested for STD's and AID's and stuff. I have to ask too, are you on any type of birth control?"

Katniss' face flushed a deep red, "Whoa. Madge please slow down. I don't think Peeta has AID's...and we aren't having sex, um, so I don't know if I need birth control." She stammered embarassed by her roommate's line of questioning.

"You may not be having sex now but it is best to be prepared in the case your hormones take over. As for the test, I don't think Peeta has AID's either but there are other STD's that are a real possibility. You have to be realistic with yourself, Katniss; he is a very handsome football player who was a big star in high school." Madge teased, "Not exactly a National Merit who would rather be hunting Bambi then attending pep assemblies like you."

"Yeah, I know he isn't exactly the Virgin Mary or anything." The depth of her realization overwhelmed Katniss as she replied, "He definitely knew what he was doing."

"Speaking of that, you know the 'knew what he was doing' part…tell us everything!" Rue clamored.

Katniss shook her head in refusal, "Uh, no! I can't believe you guys. That is so very private that I'm almost too embarrassed to talk with him about it!" There was a tickle of jealousy building in the back of Katniss' mind. At the time everything had felt so right that she had not given much consideration to the fact that it may not have been pure chemistry aiding things between her and Peeta. It had not crossed her mind that he had become so good at the skill of 'that thing' from encounters with other girls until now.

"We know you didn't have sex so a little deductive reasoning should help Rue and I figure out just exactly what happened if you aren't going to share dirty details." Madge supposed.

"Did he touch you?" Katniss nodded her assent to Rue's question.

"Did you touch him?" Madge was surprised at Katniss' refusal. "You really didn't touch him?"

"He, uh, well when we were making out apparently he, um, uh…" Katniss trailed off and Madge almost immediately picked up where she was going. Through a fit of giggles Madge asked, "He came without you even touching him? Wow!"

"Maybe Mr. Mellark isn't as skilled at the art of love as we previously thought." Rue could barely contain her laughter, "Madge, I don't think Katniss needs to be on birth control if Peeta can't even hold off long enough for her to actually touch him."

Katniss suddenly felt herself become angry. This was nothing abnormal for Katniss, her first response was always to get angry and then process whatever the surge of emotion that she had felt was. After much consideration, she had decided that her intention was to just have a friend with benefits relationship with Peeta. She was simply amending her avoiding relationships clause by allowing for her sexual needs. While she knew how her body felt about Peeta she liked to believe that her heart was indifferent, nonetheless, it pissed her off that her friends were laughing at his expense. "Don't laugh at him. Things were intense." Katniss quickly added, "Anyways it was my fault, I did not mean to but apparently I was grinding all over his, well, his 'you know.'"

"Everdeen, you are going to have to learn to say the word if you plan on pursuing this relationship with Peeta. Call it a hard on, erection, stiffy, boner, cock, even just penis. Just call it anything but 'you know.'" Rue responded, "Well actually I take that back, don't call it a 'pee pee' that's what my baby brothers call it and it makes me feel weird." Rue's attempt at lightening the mood worked and Katniss immediately calmed from her angry outburst.

"It's just things seemed so right between me and Peeta. I was able to truly get out of my head and just be with him in a way that I never was able to with Gale." Katniss paused, unsure whether or not how much to tell her closest friends before deciding to go with it. She lowered her eyes before continuing, "I came with my pants on too. I just had a little assistance from Peeta's hand so you can make fun of me too."

"Speaking of tall, dark and broody he called the land line like ten times last night looking for you AND I heard your Skype ringing even more than that." Madge added before returning to the topic of Peeta. "I'm so happy that you had your first big 'O' I feel like we should celebrate this momentous occasion with pizza and wine. Pizza, because I'm hungry and wine, because we might get more details from you if you're liquored up." Madge grinned widely at herself for coming up with such an excellent idea.

* * *

Peeta glanced at his phone with disdain. Glimmer had been blowing up his phone and Facebook constantly. It irritated him because he thought that she had moved on but for whatever reason her interest in him had been piqued again. He knew that Katniss would never tell her what was going on between them so he just assumed it was because she heard the news about his knee. His physical therapists had recently reported that his knee was healing fantastically and a medical red shirt was not going to be necessary for next season. Girls like Glimmer disgusted him. She was no better than Delly. She wanted the fame and notoriety of being a 'players girl' when in reality she was nothing but a skanky cleat chaser.

Katniss would be coming over after her shift on campus. Between tutoring, her job, and schoolwork he was convinced that the pretty girl was busier than he was with football. It had been a few days since she had stayed the night and she had put a little distance between the two of them. It had not surprised him given the recent turn of events but it had hurt and he realized how much he missed her gentle presence. He planned on taking her to his parent's bakery and sandwich shop for some dinner. It was ridiculous but Peeta was desperate to show Katniss that he had something worthy to contribute to the world and that he wasn't a frivolous athlete who got by on his natural abilities. Katniss was not easily impressed like most girls and his status as a football player had hurt him more than it had helped him. Seeing his family's place of business would help with that. She had already enjoyed the spoils of his dad's hard work and had seemed to really appreciate the pastries. He wasn't exactly sure what he needed to do to convince Katniss that he was more than a jersey but he hoped that this trip would do it.

A soft knock rapped on his door and Peeta was surprised to see Katniss was early. "Hey there, beautiful! You look amazing!" He complimented Katniss as she entered. She was a vision in a soft cream cardigan, dark blue skinny jeans, and silver ballet flats. Her hair flowed freely, framing her face which she had highlighted with a few brushes of mascara and a natural blush tinting her cheeks.

* * *

"Thanks." Katniss murmured, uncomfortable with the compliment and the way that Peeta was drinking in the sight of her. She made eye contact with Peeta and her heart started hammering in her chest. _'Say it; just get it out of the way.'_ Katniss urged herself before softly rushing. "I've been thinking about touching you all day. I want you to show me what you like, will you do that?" She neglected to mention the part where she wanted a boundary between what they were doing and a real relationship.

Peeta had become accustomed to Katniss' bluntness. She either said exactly what she was thinking or said nothing at all. He was not sure which method he preferred. However, he knew exactly how he felt about her admission of thinking of touching him all day. He had not even finished greeting Katniss yet and he was twitching in his pants. _'This girl will be the death of me.'_ Peeta thought to his self before Katniss opened her mouth again, "Oh, and well I think I need you to get a test showing you're not sick with herpes or something and I've got an appointment to get birth control tomorrow." She stated before closing the distance between them and reaching up for a kiss.

Peeta stilled her with a hand firmly placed on each shoulder. "Whoa there firecracker, slow down. That was a lot of information in one statement." Peeta smiled trying to ease the discomfort evident in Katniss' face from him stopping her attempt at a kiss. "I know you keep making me out to be this sex crazed football player or something but before that night with you I had only touched and been with the girl I lost my virginity to in high school."

A look that Peeta could only describe as jealousy passed over Katniss' face and he paused shortly, pleased with this development. Jealousy insinuated that Katniss cared. "When it ended between the two of us I was made aware that she had been keeping company with other football players and had a full STD panel to just make sure she had not brought something into our bed. It was clear. You want a copy or something?" He smiled brightly at Katniss before his eyes darkened and he said seriously, "I would never do anything to put your health in jeopardy, Katniss. As for the birth control that's fine and all but it is your decision. Like I said the other day, I will never push anything on you. I'm not that guy." Peeta brushed the hair from Katniss face before wrapping his arms around her.

* * *

Peeta's arms made her feel safe and despite her best effort to distrust him, Katniss believed every word from Peeta's mouth. He was making it hard for her to see this as a relationship built of the mutual need for sexual exploration. There had been too much talking she had to take action. Katniss leaned up into the crook of Peeta's neck and started placing timid kisses. When she felt Peeta lean into her kisses she grew bolder and drew his earlobe into her mouth and nibbled softly. Peeta gasped and pulled Katniss tight to him as he moved one hand to her head to run his fingers through her free flowing hair. He pulled gently on her hair until her lips pulled upwards and met his. Their lips parted and they shared a heated kiss. Katniss could not prevent the moan that escaped her lips. She felt her stomach clench with the heat of the passion that her and Peeta were creating and without thinking she let her hand drift south and climb up underneath his shirt. His stomach was taut and his skin was softer than she would have guessed.

She had to touch him. She needed to touch him. How had she lived eighteen years without touching him? "Show me." An almost guttural demand breached her lips as she reached down to run her hand along the zipper of his pants. Peeta was already so hard that the zipper strained against the pressure and Katniss felt her own want pool between her legs. Peeta pulled away from Katniss' neck where he had been nibbling and softly sucking and started to open his mouth. "Don't you fucking deny me this, Peeta. Don't be so goddamned nice and careful, I want this. I need this." She boldly clenched her hand around his bulging manhood as she verbally pushed on, "you obviously want this as badly as I do."

* * *

Gone. That's exactly where Peeta's intentions of taking it slow and treating Katniss to dinner at the bakery went. He was not sure where they went but without a doubt they were gone for tonight. He pulled her into the bedroom and effortless pulled her up and sat her on the computer desk. His desk was tall and helped even out the height disparity between the petite girl and the giant athlete. She wrapped her legs around him pulling him to her and feeding the hunger growing inside her by slowly grinding into him. "We have all night. Let's slow the pace. It feels so good I want it to last." Peeta reached around Katniss and selected the Ben Harper Pandora station on his computer.

"It's so hard to go slow Peeta, I feel like I'm going to explode." Katniss boldly stated, "Please just let me see you. Let me touch you. I want so badly to make you feel good." She lowered her eyes from Peeta's afraid to find rejection there.

_'Fuck it.'_ Peeta reached his hand to Katniss' chin and forced her to make eye contact with him before stepping away from the desk and stripping his shirt from his body. He slowly started on his belt buckle, never breaking eye contact. Katniss followed suit and kicked her shoes off and started to unbutton her cardigan but paused when Peeta moved to slide his boxers off.

"Leave those for me." She smirked at him before walking over to him and pushing gently on his shoulder to get him sit on the bed. Her demureness disappeared and a newly emboldened Katniss turned her now bare back to Peeta and removed her bra and jeans. Turning back to face him she dropped her arms from her breasts and straddled Peeta's lap careful not to touch him in anyway. "We don't want a repeat of last time, do we?" Katniss coyly teased.

_'What's gotten into me?'_ She wondered before sliding her hand into the open slit of Peeta's boxer shorts. The sex goddess attitude she was now projecting faltered a bit when she wrapped her hand around Peeta. He was a bit bigger than she had been expecting. The thought excited and frightened her and she removed her hand from Peeta to gently tug on his boxers until they fell around his ankles.

"Tell me." She demanded staring him in the eyes as she grasped Peeta's manhood firmly in her hand, working her wrist in up and down movements. "Is this what you like?" Peeta rolled his head back and nodded as words escaped him and Katniss continued pushing and pulling Peeta until she felt him twitch and heard him moan her name when he found his release.

He lay on the bed for just a moment before Peeta rolled on top of Katniss, peered into her eyes while smiling and said, "Looks like it's your turn now."

* * *

Katniss made her way back to her room the next morning remembering what had happened between her and Peeta with a smile on her face. They hadn't gone further than touching but they had done a lot of touching. It had been so amazing that Katniss had never found the right time to talk to Peeta about the whole issue of boundaries and her no relationship rule. She smiled at Madge who was watching reality television and eating a bowl of cereal as she entered the room. To Katniss surprise, Madge made eye contact with her, shook her head, and mouthed, 'Watch out' while pointing to Katniss' bedroom. Glimmer could be heard cooing and talking to someone and it instantly irritated Katniss. After such an unbelievable night she had to come home to Glimmer having her own morning excitement in their room. _'Gross.'_ Katniss thought to herself before knocking on the door. "Glimmer, I just need to get a change of clothes. Everyone decent?"

Suddenly the door pulled open and Katniss was face to face with a familiar pair of grey eyes, "Where the hell have you been, Catnip?"

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys I am struggling with what is too explicit versus appropriate mature situations according to the ratings. I am afraid that the upcoming scene when Katniss loses here viginity is a little on the explicit side. What do I do about this? Publish it anyway or make it available to people via PM like some authors do with sneak peeks? Help!**

**Also, thank you for your continued support through reviews! I really take your suggestions into consideration and I love hearing what you think about the story!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from THG or THG characters in any way. (Same goes for Facebook).**

**A/N: You guys rock my socks! Seriously, I had so much great input as to what to do for a contingency plan that it is all sorted out now. I'm going to continue posting here but simultaneously post on a tumblr site. Now I just have to figure tumblr out…hmmm.**

* * *

Arriving at Katniss' doorstep late last night to hear that she was not in was not something that Gale had anticipated. It wasn't that he thought she sat around pining for him. He just expected her to be there in her room. He knew Katniss was studious and cautious, definitely not the type to be out late. Gale also knew Katniss had few close friends and those friends happened to live with her. It was just common sense that she would be in her room. When she was not there, Gale knew something he would not like was going on.

"Oh, you know Katniss always taking up with whatever athlete catches her eye this week." Glimmer had cooed when he had asked about Katniss' whereabouts. _'No. Apparently I don't know Catnip.'_ Gale bitterly thought to himself, _'Athletes? What the fuck?'_ That didn't sound like his Catnip but Gale didn't know what to think. The last time Katniss called she had been obviously distressed. Gale had questioned her about what was wrong but she withheld that information from him. He had opted to spend the night in Katniss' bed after Glimmer insisted that it did not make her uncomfortable having him there. What other option did Gale have? He had not really thought through what was going to happen when he arrived in Knoxville he was just desperate to get to Katniss and make sure that she was okay.

* * *

Eventually he fell asleep, curled into Katniss' comforter and delighting in the smell of her hair that he found in the pillow. When Katniss had finally found her way to the room Gale was shocked at her appearance. Her hair mussed, cheeks pink and sweater on inside out, the girl was a wreck. Despite the fact that she looked liked she had spent the night rolling in someone's bed he had pulled her close to him glad to have her in his arms once more. She had embraced him back tightly which momentarily relieved the stress that was threatening to tear his stomach apart.

"Gale?" Katniss looked like she was staring at a ghost. "What are you doing here?" She had sputtered and looked liked she was debating between smacking him and kissing him. He immediately felt relief. Here was_ his_ Catnip, his very own girl on fire. The relief was short lived as he quickly became attuned to how she smelt. She did not smell like _his_ Katniss at all. In fact, she smelled almost masculine with a hint of something tangy and earthy underneath. He knew this smell and when he finally recognized it for what it truly was he had to prevent himself from pushing her across the room to get her away from him. She reeked of sex. Coupling this revelation with Katniss' insane appearance painted a larger picture of why she had not returned to her dorm last night.

"I didn't wanna believe it when I was talking to Blondie," Gale sneered motioning towards Glimmer who sat captivated by the scene unfolding before her, "but as I live and breathe here you are, Katniss Everdeen, whoring around." Gale realized the hurt in Katniss' eyes as he viciously tore into her with his words. It did not matter to him that he was hurting her because all he could feel was the burning desire for her to hurt like he did. "Well that did not take long, did it? I didn't take you for a slut but there are apparently a lot of things I did not realize about you." As Gale headed towards the door he realized how foolish he had been. Not for screaming at Katniss, he was still hurting too bad to feel sorry for that. But, foolish because of how much hope he had felt on his drive to Knoxville. Every mile marker he passed he had considered the many variances in the type of reunion that he and Katniss would share. In some she would declare her undying love, in others be gracious that he had come to check on her, in most she was pissed but glad to see him but in not one of these scenarios did he imagine what would actually happen.

Gale glanced across the room and sought out the green eyes of the only other person he had met in Tennessee, "Blondie, you up for breakfast?"

* * *

For the first time in her months at the University of Tennessee Katniss did something she never thought that she would do. She skipped class. _'What choice do I have?'_ She reasoned to herself. Gale had shown up out of the blue. Katniss had been surprised but excited to see him. Then as suddenly as he had shown up, he had run off. She did not know how she felt about his sudden appearance nor did she know how to feel about his even more sudden disappearance. Even if she did not know why he was there, Katniss felt a responsibility for him since he had traveled over sixteen hours to see her.

Katniss willed herself to stop from crying as a barrage of emotions ravaged her mind. In one day she had managed to experience just about every feeling possible for a human. She had woken up to experience pleasure in its rawest form as she took in the sight of Peeta's nude form beside her. Her walk back to her dorm room had been marked by contentment and self satisfaction; however, when Gale opened the door she had been shocked. Shock immediately translated to excitement when she realized her best friend had come from Oklahoma to see her. Excitement shortly gave away to embarrassment when she realized she was hugging Gale when not minutes ago she had been kissing a naked Peeta goodbye. Lastly, Katniss had felt brokenhearted when Gale had called her those hurtful names. It infuriated her to think that Gale had believed what Glimmer had told him even if there had been truth to it. Her dilemma had left her stewing in bed all day and waiting for Gale's return.

* * *

Peeta approached Katniss' door with a grin on his face. Shifting the pastry bag to rest in the crook of his elbow, he knocked on the door as he called to Katniss through the thick wood. "Anyone home?"

"What are you doing here?" Katniss spat as she opened the door. "You need to leave. I did not invite you, why are you here?"

Peeta faltered, confused and hurt at Katniss' accusatory tone. He was used to her mood swings and fiery attitude but this side of Katniss was scary. He sized her up noting her swollen red face and tear stained cheeks. "Is everything okay?" He paused to ask before continuing, "This morning you said to come watch a movie with you when I completed my biology review." Peeta watched as awareness lit in Katniss' eyes as she remembered their playful banter this morning.

"I, uh, forgot about that." Katniss admitted, "but you need to go _now_. Please you'll just make things so much _worse_." She emphasized the words 'now' and 'worse' with a grimace.

"What things are there to make worse?" Peeta was bewildered at Katniss line of reasoning. "I'm so confused. What's wrong? What's going on?" He felt himself growing desperate and his words came out more like begging than questioning.

Katniss' icy exterior began to crack at the obvious hurt in Peeta's eyes but she persisted, "I just need you to get the out of here. Quick."

"Peeta?" Both Katniss and Peeta turned to see Glimmer arm and arm with Gale walking down the corridor. "It is so good to see you again." She purred as she approached the pair. Letting go of Gale she reached over and stroked a perfectly manicured fingernail down Peeta's bicep.

There was an end to Peeta's patience and Glimmer touching him accelerated him reaching it. "Fuck, Glimmer, leave me the fuck alone." He turned to face her until he realized a very heated exchange happening between the dark headed man and Katniss.

"Peeta baby, let's leave these two alone." Glimmer pushed as she wrapped her hand around his wrist. "Someone came a long way to see Katniss and who are we to interfere?"

Peeta bristled at the scene unfolding before him. The dark haired man had a hand wrapped around Katniss' elbow, staring down at her intently as he bombarded her with hateful words. Katniss started to cry and that was all it took before Peeta was grabbing at the dark headed man. "Who the fuck are you and what is your problem here?" Peeta screamed.

"I'm her fucking boyfriend. Who the fuck are you?" the dark haired man spit back at Peeta. In an instant, Peeta started backing away from the scene. _'Her boyfriend?'_ Peeta thought he was her boyfriend. They had not talked about it but he had just assumed. She spent the night with him. They laughed together and shared secrets about their past. She had cried his name in pleasure only a night before. He cursed himself for being so naïve to think that someone like Katniss would have anything to do with him. She was just using him as a surrogate for her _supposedly _sexually inept boyfriend back in Oklahoma.

"It's not what you think!" Katniss loudly exclaimed interrupting the firestorm of doubt and pain coursing through Peeta's body.

Almost as if by cue, both Peeta and Gale questioned back at Katniss, "What is it then?" The men turned to start at each other almost as if discovering each other for the first time. Gale locked eyes with Peeta in a steely glare before questioning, "Are you fucking her?"

Peeta winced at Gale's coarse reference to his relationship with Katniss. She deserved better than a fuck she deserved passionate, intuitive coupling. It came as no shock to Peeta that Katniss had never experienced pleasure at the hand of the brute man in front of him. Despite knowing that this, Peeta was seething at Gale's attitude and attempted to take him down a notch, "Well, someone needs to do it correctly."

* * *

Katniss felt torn between the two men. She felt deep conflicting emotions about them both. Following her heart would mean breaking Gale's and she owed Gale more than that. But, she wasn't sure what was going on between her and Peeta. They had never defined it. So, in a way, they were really nothing to each other.

Peeta lived down the hall, while, Gale needed to return back to Oklahoma. "Gale, we haven't been together since July." She needed to remove Peeta from this situation so she could deal with Gale. Re-addressing Gale's aggressive assertion and turning to face Peeta, she softly said, "You don't have to answer that Peeta." She quickly looked at her feet so that she did not have to see Peeta's eyes when she responded to Gale. "We never had sex. Peeta is just a guy I fool around with."

The bravado that had inflated Peeta to stand up to Gale disappeared with Katniss' revelation. Voice cracking and strained with emotion, Peeta interjected, "Is that really all I am to you?" He stepped away, needing to remove himself from the situation before he lost all composure. Katniss' words had cut him to the core. He knew that she wasn't in love with him but he had truly believed that she cared for him. "Do I really mean so little?" He stammered before turning and briskly walking away.

* * *

"Why are you even here?" Katniss pushed a finger into Gale's chest.

Gale's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion, "I was worried about you. After you called me I could tell something was bothering you and then you didn't return my phone calls." Gale admitted and then dropped his eyes, "I thought you needed me. It's my job to take care of you."

Katniss nervously twisted her braid, "Gale, I appreciate it but I can take care of myself. I have to do things on my own and you have to trust me to."

"I can't let you go. I love you. That's not going away. It hurts that you've been with him but I can move past that." Gale admitted boldly throwing his hands in the air.

With a quiet resolve Katniss replied, "It's not a matter of moving past anything. You are not my protector and you have got to let me go."

"I loved you first." Gale asserted as if the simple fact that he had loved her first allowed him some unknown claim over her.

"And, I'll love you always. Gale you're my best friend I don't want to lose you but as long as I am here and your there you have to let me live my life." Katniss' statement opened up a painful line of communication between the two best friends and they talked through the night. A tentative truce was formed between them. They would live their lives respectively in Oklahoma and Tennessee and whatever happened would happen. Gale slept on the couch and left early the next morning.

* * *

Katniss had never been as acutely aware of someone's absence as she was the night Peeta had walked away from her and Gale. It was as if Peeta had dropped off the face of the earth. Katniss had called, texted, and facebooked him repeatedly and never gotten a response. She went to his room, looked for him in the dining hall and even went to his weekly biology review just to find that he was at none of these places. She realized how broken he had appeared that night but thought that the following day she would be able to explain and everything would be okay. However, Katniss was quickly realizing that things were not okay between him and her.

The realization that things were not okay had brought about a physiological response in Katniss. She could not focus on anything but worrying about Peeta. Her stomach was constantly nauseous and she could not bring herself to drink. Katniss realized that she had been a fool to think that everything happening between the two of them was just sexual. In the wake of Peeta's absence, Katniss realized how much lighter and happier her life had been with him in it. He encouraged a playful side of Katniss she did not know existed. He was everything good and light in her world and without him in it Katniss was absolutely miserable.

* * *

**A/N: Aw, shucks folks! Please don't be mad at me…it was just where the story had to go to end up where I want it! I *promise* to update sooner than usual. I'm stuck at a conference in Washington D.C. and bored out of my mind in the evenings so Peeta and Katniss won't be stuck in a lurch for long. **


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to THG. I am not benefiting from this fic.**

**Warning: Long chapter, sexy time and very coarse language below! Please proceed with caution!**

* * *

Peeta pushed, pulled and worked the yeasty dough on the counter. He took immense joy in the repetitive motion as it provided a reprieve from thinking about Katniss. Thinking about Katniss caused him to feel empty and hollow. These emotions were foreign to the handsome blonde man. The eternal optimist, he had always been able to see the bright side of things. There was no bright side to this situation. Peeta had been played for a fool, used for his body, and then strung along until Katniss' real boyfriend had shown up. _'I hope he really is as terrible in bed as she claimed. Fuck her. Fuck him. Fuck this.'_ Peeta uncharacteristically snarled to himself and began punching the dough in front of him.

"Now that the dough is officially dead, you want to talk about where my son is and who this angry person is in his place?" Peeta's father stood in the doorway staring at his beloved youngest son with a concerned look on his face. When Peeta had shown up with a duffel bag and a tear stained face Mr. Mellark had greeted him with a hug and put fresh sheets on the tiny twin Peeta had slept on since he was six. Peeta disappeared for class and football functions but reappeared every night to help his dad prepare dough and sleep in his old room. "Peeta, it's been a week and if you're not going to talk to me then you have got to talk to someone. I appreciate the help but I would trade it in an instant to have my carefree boy back."

Peeta tossed the dough in the trash and walked to his dad and wrapped his arms around him. "I was just stupid. I trusted the wrong person and she used me and didn't care for me the way I care for her." He admitted as he followed his father to a small sitting area in the office.

"Does this have anything to do with the pastries you've been filching lately?" Mr. Mellark teased Peeta trying to lighten the mood but when he saw Peeta's countenance her realized that his son was not in the mood for jokes. "It's obvious that the 'using' you're talking about has nothing to do with pastry. Was she taking up with you because of your status on campus?"

Peeta smiled lightly at his Dad's reverence for his spot on the team, "No dad and that is one of the things I love about her. She could care less about season tickets or notoriety. Katniss is one of those girls who is absolutely breathtaking but doesn't realize it. She is so different from any other girl I've ever met before. She is so real and honest…shit she wasn't honest…" he trailed off revisiting his last comment in his head before clarifying "well, I mean she is honest but I guess I wasn't asking the right questions."

Mr. Mellark threw an arm around his son, "Can I ask what she said that makes you think that she doesn't feel the same about you? Did she actually say 'I don't want to be with you' or is it a situation where she is just trying to figure things out?"

"She led me on even though I made it clear I was falling for her." Not wanting to give his dad all the dirty details, Peeta admitted just enough to paint a picture, "She denied our relationship at a time when she needed to stand up for me. Even if she eventually decided she wanted me, I think I would be stupid to give her another chance. Her refusal broke me in such a way I don't think I can ever forgive her."

* * *

"Guess who has the 4-1-1 on Peeta's whereabouts!" Rue skipped through Katniss' bedroom door and paused at the foot of her bed before continuing, "All it took were a few strategically placed kisses and Thresh was literally gushing with information."

"Seriously?" Katniss peered up from her textbook.

"Yes! I wouldn't tease about something as important as this! I can't stand you being all grumpy pants when just a week ago Peeta was making you so much fun to be around." Rue smiled and extended a hand to Katniss. "I just want the scowling but slightly happier Katniss back. Let's go!"

Katniss' mouth twitched upwards into an almost smile as she waved away Rue's hand. "Gross! Seriously, you just all but admitted what you had been doing with your hands before you came here and now you want me to hold it. Uh, no!"

"I said kisses not touches, silly! My hands are fair game but you may not want to share a toothbrush with me anytime soon." Rue laughed back.

"TMI!" Katniss stood up quickly, "Are we going to see him now? Where is he?"

"To his parents sandwich shop, duh! I can't believe you had not looked there yet." Rue mockingly rolled her eyes at Katniss, "I mean c'mon you didn't think he was making all that pastry in his dorm room, did you?"

"I knew he was from Knoxville but I guess I didn't realize what his parents did." Katniss stared at Rue. "He knows about my family and my life in Oklahoma but I never asked him about his childhood." The realization dawned on Katniss how little she had tried to get to know Peeta as a person and not just a play time partner. "Wow. That is kinda shitty of me."

"Yup, it is." Rue agreed with Katniss, "now let's go make it up to him and maybe score a free brownie."

* * *

Peeta sat in the office working on a paper for his literature class when he looked up and saw Mr. Mellark standing in the doorway. "What's up, dad?"

"There happens to be a very lovely and skittish young lady asking for you out front, son." Mr. Mellark relayed to Peeta.

Peeta groaned and dropped his head heavily against the wooden desk, "Does she have dark hair and grey eyes? Possibly, is she wearing a braid down her back or resting on her shoulder?"

"Correct on both accounts." Mr. Mellark confirmed, "I take it this is Katniss?"

"Please just tell her I'm not here." Peeta pleaded with his father.

"Peeta, she wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to come here if you meant nothing to her. You think it was easy for her to ask me if you were here." Mr. Mellark asked shaking his head, "It wasn't easy for her at all. She stood pacing and looking over the pastry case for ten minutes before she finally asked for you."

Peeta stood and stormed to the front of the store where he was greeted with the sight of Katniss standing with her back to the pastry case. His breath caught in his throat and he found it hard to breathe. He felt his heart drop into his stomach and he had to grasp the counter top tightly to compose his self. Plastering a fake smile on his face Peeta called out to Katniss, "What can I help you with today?"

* * *

When Katniss walked through the door and laid eyes on Mr. Mellark she knew she was in the right place. Peeta was the spitting image of his father. The older man had the same sandy hair and kind blue eyes as his son. Rue's steady hand on Katniss shoulder prevented her from bolting for the door when he smiled warmly at Katniss and asked if he could help her. The smile lines around his mouth and eyes, light dusting of gray at the temples and slight paunch of the mid section were the only things that differentiated him from Peeta. The man emanated warmth and it was hard for Katniss to muster the courage to ask for Peeta.

When Peeta first spoke to her she thought that maybe he hadn't been avoiding her at all. Sure, he was asking her order and the smile was a little too big but he was talking to her. _'That's something, right?'_ Katniss thought to herself. She soon realized that there was no semblance of the Peeta she had come to know and the Peeta behind the counter. He was smiling but it appeared forced and uncomfortable. His eyes were not the clear, sparkling blue of her lover in the morning. They were dull and lacked life and energy. _'What has happened to my Peeta? What have I done?'_ The thought that he was like this because of her was more than she could handle and her eyes began to fill with tears.

* * *

Peeta could see the tears forming and threatening to fall. It was imperative that he retain his steely resolve and to do that he could not see her cry. He had to get her to leave so he channeled Finnick when he was being an asshole and trying to shirk off a girl he had tired of. "If you're not going to order I'm going to have to ask you to leave. The sign on the door clearly states 'no loitering.' Now, can I help you or were you leaving?" Peeta's resolve faltered momentarily when he noticed fat tears rolling down Katniss' flaming red cheeks. The moment passed and Peeta pushed forward with asshole mode, "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah she fudging heard you, but did you hear yourself?" Rue slapped her hand hard against the pastry glass before continuing," Katniss may have hurt your feelings but she's sorry and you're going to listen to her apology and respect her. Not be a flipping dick head, got it?"

* * *

Rue's words sent Peeta running to the back room. He was having difficulty breathing and ears were burning. He knew he was being a dick head and he was doing a terrible job of it because he was not supposed to feel embarrassed for it. Peeta was mortified at how he was behaving but Katniss had to understand she could not use him anymore. He was done. "Son, go apologize now." Mr. Mellark appeared and put a hand on Peeta's back, "I did not raise you treat a woman that way."

Peeta walked out to the store front but Katniss and Rue were gone. He stepped outside and saw Rue helping a bawling Katniss into the passenger seat of her car. This was not the Katniss that he had come to known. Even when crying over the Gale situation she was fiery and fought back proudly. Katniss' appearance was a reflection of how broken and lost he felt inside. Peeta approached the girls and asked if he could escort Katniss back to the dorms. Rue looked at him like he had grown a third eye and refused to let him near the crying girl. Katniss, on the other hand, had nodded and reached for Peeta's outstretched hand.

* * *

The ride back to the dorms was punctuated by Katniss' sniffles and hiccups as she attempted to self regulate from her crying fit. She had not sobbed this hard since her dog, Penny, died when she was thirteen. Peeta's rejection had broken a dam inside her and all the pain and emotions that she had been holding inside her came exploding out. A weight lifted from her chest when the tears flowed freely and she felt free. Making things right with Peeta was the next step. Even if he never wanted to see her again she owed him an explanation.

"I'm sorry, Peeta." Peeta inhaled sharply at her words but did not turn to look at her; Katniss took this as a sign to continue. "Bear with me. I'm not good with words but I'm trying here. There is something about you that gets to me. At first I thought it was desire and sexual compatibility but I'm quickly realizing it is deeper than that." They had reached the parking lot but Katniss continued, "Believe me when I say that I did not mean to hurt you. Gale and I were over a long time ago... and that is a story for another time… but I know what I said to you wasn't fair or even correct. Uh, well, you are more to me than just fooling around. Please don't get mad at me but I just don't understand what this all means yet." Katniss stopped as Peeta reached for her hand and twined her fingers with his. "I'm just so very sorry."

* * *

When Katniss apologized to Peeta it was in that moment that he realized that he was officially a goner. He had known he was falling hard and fast. Her vulnerable admittance of regret was the final push that made him realize he was in love with her. Full blown, forever love was something that Peeta had always dreamed of. It was why he held onto Delly for so long even when he realized there wasn't much complexity to their relationship. Now, here it was staring him in the face in the form of watery grey eyes and tangled brown hair. He had no clue how to proceed. He knew Katniss well enough to know that his words would terrify her so he chose action and leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth. The kiss was chaste and gentle and he followed it with, "I know what you mean and I accept your apology. I'm sorry for being an ass. I was sorry and you did not deserve it."

* * *

Peeta woke with a smile and nuzzled his lips into Katniss' hair and gently kissed the crown of her head. His arm was numb from holding Katniss' weight all morning but his heart was full. Typically, spending the night with Katniss meant exploration and lots of touching. However, the previous night she had opened up to him and asked him about his dreams. It was new territory and he could tell it was difficult for her to try and get to know him. Peeta appreciated the effort more than any physical release she could have facilitated for him. Katniss looked beautiful tucked into him and his body suddenly craved the closeness that only she could offer. He needed last night to get things emotionally right and she had given that to him. Peeta wanted to give her something to let her know just how much he appreciated her gesture. He slid his hand underneath the covers and began to slowly stroke the skin underneath her t shirt.

* * *

Katniss woke to a gentle tickling sensation at her side and opened her eyes to find Peeta hovering right in front of her. He smiled at her then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her mouth. Katniss realized that the tickling feeling was Peeta's hand working its way languidly around her ribs, naval, and side. She wrapped her arm around Peeta's neck and started to pull lightly at the hair on the back of his head. He leaned in and captured her mouth in a deep kiss. Instinctively Katniss arched her body up into him and was rewarded with low groan from Peeta as he cupped her breast and worked her sensitive nipple with his large fingers. "I want you completely naked." Peeta murmured into Katniss' neck where he was suckling and teasing with his tongue. "I want to admire your beauty in the morning light." He continued as he nipped at her collarbone with his teeth before he continued, "and then I'm going to make you come…hard."

He pulled on the tail of her shirt, hoisted it over her head and propped himself on his elbows. Peeta cupped one breast with his hand while showering the other with wet kisses. Katniss could feel how hard he already was and reveled in the knowledge that it was all because of her. A silky wetness collected in her underwear and she moved to press against his erection for the rewarding friction she knew would occur when their bodies collided. Peeta shifted most of his body weight onto Katniss and she was unable to move. "I have something better in mind but you're going to have to be patient." Peeta's soft, lustful voice was almost more than Katniss could handle and she found herself whimpering with want. "Good things come to those who wait." He smirked before pulling on her nipple with his teeth. Katniss' body trembled and her muscles tightened so Peeta repeated the action on the other nipple. She felt something building deep inside her. He had not even touched her yet and she was climbing towards a release. Peeta recognized this and showered attention on her breasts kissing, nipping, and pinching her to a shuddering finish.

"That was ah-fucking-mazing. You're like unbelievable, Peeta. I didn't even know that was possible." Katniss exhaled as she slowly came to her senses. She squirmed underneath Peeta trying to reach for his arousal, "Time for someone else to have their turn."

Peeta stilled Katniss hand, "That was an unexpected surprise but I have something else in mind, do you trust me?"

Katniss looked at Peeta and earnestly said, "With my life" and Peeta kissed her heatedly on her mouth before trailing kisses down her throat. He snaked his tongue around her nipple before pulling it into his mouth and sucking lightly. He repeated the action with the other nipple and Katniss felt the flames of desire building in her again. Peeta worked slowly down her stomach kissing, licking, and tickling his way to the band of her underwear. He bit at the band and pulled it up from her skin before letting it fall back down with a 'pop' against Katniss skin and worked his way down her thighs continuing his ministrations against her soft skin. Peeta grabbed both of her ankles and pushed them up causing her legs to spread open and expose her sensitive nub to her cotton underwear. Katniss gasped as Peeta brought his face close to the thin strip of tightly stretched cotton and blew hot air against her middle. Involuntarily, her hips bucked up to meet his face and Peeta licked the fabric. "Fuck." Katniss moaned spurring Peeta to pull the crotch of her panties aside and drag his tongue along her folds. "Oh fuck…oh Peeta…please…oh please." Katniss begged and Peeta continued as he alternated licking and sucking Katniss before she pulled her hips from his face suddenly. He looked up afraid he had pushed boundaries too far to see Katniss staring back at him intently, "Let me kiss you too."

Peeta grinned, "Patience baby, I need to wrap some things up first before we proceed to me." He started to lower his face back down to Katniss.

"I meant that I want us to go down on each other at the same time." Katniss clarified boldly.

Understanding dawned on Peeta and he repositioned to align his self and Katniss sideways on the bed. Katniss stared at Peeta's fully erect erection and considered the impressive task she had brought upon herself. Timidly, she opened her mouth and placed open mouth kisses on his head. Peeta responded with a moan into her sex and the vibrations nearly sent her over the edge. Peeta's moan was the encouragement that Katniss needed and she opened her mouth and worked Peeta's length inside.

Katniss hot, wet mouth covered most of his erection and Peeta knew he would not be able to hold off much longer. He inched a finger into Katniss and began working it in her favorite curling motion while sucking on her nub. Her legs begin to clench and her walls followed shortly. As Katniss rode out intense waves of pleasure, Peeta pulled himself free of her mouth and spilled himself all over her chest.

* * *

The pair stared at the ceiling with silly grins plastered on their faces for longer than either of them intended. Katniss suddenly started giggling and rolled over and laid her head on Peeta's chest. "Did we just, uh, well you know?" She asked as she pressed her blushing cheeks to his heart.

"Now Miss Everdeen, I have no idea what you are insinuating. Could you spell it out for me?" Peeta teased Katniss. He loved the conundrum that was _his_ Katniss. In so many ways she was innocent but in the throes of passion she knew just how to articulate her needs. He mused, "Sweetheart, you are so pure."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so very much for all the awesome reviews and input! You guys rock! There are a few of you (you know who you are) who have been so very thoughtful and helpful on this journey and I hope this chapter is all that you hoped it would be. In other news, my tumblr is registered and this is my contingency plan if my story suddenly goes missing you can find me with my login name kismet4891. PM if you need more details or leave a comment in a review! **


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything THG or Facebook related. I'm just borrowing them for my story.**

**Warning: Coarse language and sexual situations below...proceed with caution! :)**

* * *

"I was wondering when we would see your face again." Madge's voice startled Katniss as she let herself back into her suite.

Katniss was shocked to see both Rue and Madge watching her expectantly from the couch, "Were you guys seriously just waiting here for me? Don't you have better things to do?"

"I can't believe you left with that asshole." Rue stated angrily. "He was being such a total prick. I'm sorry I took you there, you didn't deserve any of what he was putting you through."

"Rue, seriously, its fine. We worked some things out and I spent the night and morning with him. Everything is going good again."

"I don't know Katniss," Madge started, "the way that Rue tells it I'm not sure if you should forgive him just yet."

"Guys, I promise you that Peeta is a good guy. I pushed him too far and he was just protecting himself." Katniss was exasperated with the turn of the afternoon's events. "Don't you want to know the dirty details?"

Rue smiled, "Ugh, you know I love dirty details. Spill! But, know that if Peeta makes you cry again I'll make sure he doesn't ever share dirty details with anyone else ever again."

"Noted." Katniss assured before continuing, "…anyways, so let's just say that I learned all about a famous numerical position last night."

* * *

Peeta was completely exhausted. Final exams and preparations for the Vols bowl game had combined to make his life a hectic hell. Adding to that hell was the fact that Katniss would be boarding a plane for Oklahoma early the next morning. Three weeks without seeing each other would be tough. They had become accustomed to sleeping besides one another and enjoying being around each other. Peeta had planned a real date for them and had gotten Katniss a gift he was sure she would try to give back. When he arrived at her door he was blown away with how gorgeous she looked. She had let her hair lay loose on her shoulders and wore a minimal amount of make up that highlighted her natural beauty. "Katniss, you look stunning. Every time I see you I think you have gotten more beautiful than I remembered." Peeta complimented her while grasping her hand and twining their fingers.

Katniss blushed from the compliment, "Peeta, hush, you always say the most corn dog things."

"Well, it's true." Peeta leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You ready for our first _real_ date?"

Katniss' heart swelled at Peeta's obvious excitement. "Of course! You look pretty good yourself, I'm not used to seeing you wear colors that aren't orange." She said as she openly admired the way his dark blue button down brought out his cerulean eyes.

Peeta smiled at the compliment, "I happen to look hot in orange." He teased and continued, "Before we go I thought we could do our gift exchange. That way you can leave it in your room during dinner."

Katniss' face fell at Peeta's proclamation. "I uh, well, I didn't know we were exchanging gifts so I don't have anything for you." She stammered as she noticed a box wrapped with green paper and adorned with a silver bow. "I can't accept that."

"How about you take this" Peeta gestured to the box he held behind his back, "and for my Christmas gift, I get to introduce you as my girlfriend."

Katniss playfully wrinkled her nose at Peeta, "Hmmm, interesting counter offer Mellark. Depends, do I have to make it Facebook official? Do I have to fulfill any girlfriend-esque obligations?"

"I'll take you any way I can get you as long as you are mine." Peeta said as he extended the hand with the gift in it towards Katniss.

As she reached for the gift, Katniss replied, "That will be easy enough because I've been yours since I caught you eye stalking me at the beginning of the year." She tore at the paper and revealed a new iPad. "Peeta, this is too much. I can't take this."

"Please take it. I really need you to have it so we can communicate while you're gone. I took the liberty of downloading all your favorite movies for the plane ride and about six different play lists so you will be thinking of me. Also, it has face time so we can talk and see each other anytime that we want." Peeta pleaded, "Take it for now and if you don't want it by the time you come back then I'll return it."

"This has to be the most extravagant but thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me. I'll take it now but it's going back as soon as I get home _or_ I'm finding a way to repay you for it." Katniss smiled as she leaned up to meet Peeta's lips for a kiss. "I'm starving where are we eating?"

* * *

Being back in Oklahoma was a welcome change after the fast paced months in Tennessee. Katniss missed Peeta and her friends but it felt wonderful to be able to sleep in and enjoy her dad's famous pancakes in the morning. She saw Gale at the annual Seam Christmas party and when he approached her for a dance she was momentarily drawn back to a time when they were younger and would sneak candy canes underneath the evergreen tree. After the dance, he had kissed her forehead and excused himself. The distance that Gale put between the two of them hurt but she understood his perspective. When the Hawthorne's joined the Everdeen family to watch the Vols bowl game on television, Gale was absent. Katniss was aware of his absence but so enthralled with trying to glimpse Peeta on the sidelines that she did not really miss her best friend. Towards the end of the game, the coach made a last minute substitution to give his future quarterback some playing time. Katniss gasped out loud and grabbed Prim's arm when Peeta took the field. "That's him! That's Peeta!" She exclaimed to the blonde girl's delight.

"Oh, he is so much cuter than the pictures on your iPad!" Prim offered, "So, he's your boyfriend?"

"Shhhh!" Katniss hushed her sister gesturing towards Gale's younger brother, Rory, "Yes. But, remember keep it a secret we don't want to hurt Gale." She reminded Prim. "If you think he is cute on TV you should see him in person!" She teased Prim. In that moment, Katniss was overwhelmed as she realized how much she actually missed Peeta. In a matter of a few weeks, Peeta had irrevocably changed her world view. Face time and text messaging had closed the distance between the two but it was a poor substitute for the real thing. She admitted to herself that it was time to go back to Knoxville and be with him; however, she was not quite ready to admit how deep her feelings for the young quarterback went.

* * *

Peeta was pleased at how his and Katniss relationship had progressed since she returned from Oklahoma six weeks ago. They stayed together most nights and had gotten to know each other's friends well. The night before Valentine's Day, Finnick had shown up at Peeta's door slightly inebriated and wanting to talk. "What is it about coming to see me drunk?" Peeta questioned the bronze haired man as he stumbled through the door and took a seat on Peeta's couch.

"You're the only one I knew I could trust with this." Finnick slurred from the couch.

"What's going on, Finnick?"

"I'm not declaring for the draft. Some things came up and let's be honest I was only ever good enough to be practice squad anyway." Finnick's admission surprised Peeta. While it was true Finnick lacked the dedication to make it in the NFL it was all that he ever talked about.

Genuine concern showed on Peeta's face as he asked, "Why the change of heart? Everything ok?"

"Everything is great, more than fine actually. I got big, big news to share. Guess who is going to be a D-A-D-D-Y! Yup, me." Finnick roughly pushed his thumb into his own chest as he loudly enunciated each letter of the word daddy. "Coach said he would keep me on as a quarterbacks coach and see if I have any talent for that. Better make me look good, Mellark."

"Damn. Congratulations?" Peeta cautiously proceeded not knowing if they were celebrating the news or if he was supposed to be upset by it.

Finnick glared at Peeta, "Don't say it like you're sorry for me, Mellark. I came by to ask you to go ring shopping with me tomorrow. I'm going to pop the question on Valentine's Day. Annie is it for me." Peeta could see the sincerity in Finnick's eyes so he smiled and agreed to meet him the following morning.

* * *

Down the hall, Katniss was debating what to get Peeta for their Valentine's Day celebration tomorrow. She had insisted that she did not want anything overly romantic. A quiet dinner and an early evening would be all the celebration she required. She mused, "I really think we are ready to have sex, I just don't know how to get the ball rolling in that direction," to Madge who was sitting across from her on the couch.

"Just get him naked and guide him to your happy place." Madge teased. "It can't be that hard, can it?"

"Madge, you know Peeta. Things are never that simple. He will want to analyze every move and make sure that I'm absolutely positive." Katniss grimaced, "I'm not getting what I want without a in-depth discussion about feelings and overall preparedness." Katniss feigned exasperation and rolled her eyes in Madge's direction.

"Ick. I can see how that could ruin a moment. God damn, it's _so_ horrible that he cares about you and wants to make sure your ready." She laid the sarcasm on thick before lightly continuing, "I didn't know there were still guys that existed like Peeta." Madge smiled at Katniss, "consider yourself lucky, it's better to be cherished than to be used." She paused momentarily, "Maybe you should tell Peeta exactly what you want. That way the discussion is over before the good stuff gets going. Oh, and Katniss?"

"What?" Katniss looked at Madge expectantly.

Madge smirked before saying, "Remember, 'no glove equals no love.'"

* * *

Katniss was a nervous wreck. She sucked at expressing her feelings and what she wanted. However, she knew the importance of using the right words with Peeta. He would want to know that she was not taking this lightly. She feared she may have to have the feelings discussion before he let things go further. Katniss knew exactly how she felt about Peeta she just was not sure if she was ready for _him_ to know yet. Dinner had been delicious and they were back in Peeta's room to watch a movie, she took a deep breath and started, "Peeta, I know this is cheesy as hell but I want tonight to be the night." She straddled Peeta's lap with her face mere inches from his. As, Katniss gazed into his blue eyes she willed him to feel the sincerity in her words so she would not have to explain further.

"Katniss, we have talked about this before and nothing has changed. I want it to be more than sex or fucking. It has to mean something more to you because it does to me." Peeta's eyes connected with Katniss' without verbalizing his question she knew what he was saying. He was telling her 'I love you' and pleading with her to return the sentiment.

"I know nothing has changed with you." She quietly admitted.

"What are you saying?" He asked, daring her to say the words he was desperate to hear.

"Shit, Peeta! Seriously with the words what is it about the words?"

"It's not about the words it's what they mean." Peeta tried to explain, "It's about knowing where I stand with you."

Katniss locked eyes with him, "Tell me." She commanded breathily.

Peeta knew exactly what she was demanding and happily complied, "I'm so in love with you that the idea of being without you leaves me breathless. Katniss Everdeen, I love you. The idea of having sex with you does not appeal to me, it has to be making love or I refuse to let it happen."

"I love you and it scares the shit out of me." Katniss' confession barely breached her lips before Peeta crushed his mouth to hers.

* * *

Katniss held tightly onto Peeta's hips as he positioned his arousal at her entrance. A shiver of anticipation ran through her body as she felt him breach her tight walls and ease slowly in. Merely an inch inside her, he stopped, pressed a kiss to her forehead and asked if she was okay. She nodded her assent and pulled on his quivering hips to urge him further. He pushed in deeper and Katniss gasped, her walls involuntarily clenched around Peeta as he hit a sweet spot. Peeta, fearing that he had hurt her suddenly pulled all the way out, "I'm so sorry! Let's stop." He proclaimed rolling to his side as he brought his hands to face to cover it.

"Peeta, look at me. I wasn't making hurt noises I was making 'let's keep going cause it feels so amazing noises'. You are not going to hurt me. I want you inside me." Katniss reassured while reaching for Peeta and pulling his hips back towards her. He repositioned himself and tentatively pushed back inside her. As he slowly inched his way inside her, he carefully watched Katniss' face for signs of discomfort. She was so tight and wet it took all of his restraint not to thrust into her with everything he had. Peeta felt resistance as he reached the thin barrier of skin that signified her virginity and found himself unable to go any further. He withdrew and Katniss gasped at the absence of his girth. "What's wrong?" she questioned as she reached for him.

Peeta lay flat on his back beside Katniss, unwilling to meet her eyes he started to explain, "I, uh, I…I just can't do it. I'm so afraid of hurting you." Peeta stammered. "God you feel amazing, but, I just can't hurt you. Don't get mad."

"I'm not mad. It's sweet, really, it is. But, the pain is just part of losing your virginity." Katniss nuzzled into Peeta's side and brought her leg up over his. "We don't have to go any further tonight. How about we revisit something we are already comfortable with? She asked as she reached for his still erect member.

* * *

Katniss was lost in a train of thought. It had been exactly one week since Valentine's Day which meant that one week had passed and she was still in her semi virginal state. It was so frustrating that Peeta had been unable to breach her hymen and claim her for his own. They had tried on two different occasions since the holiday but each time he stopped short of actually completing the deed. Madge teased Katniss that she was going to have to 'de-virginize' herself. Katniss was so ready to get past this awkward stage in her and Peeta's sex life that she found validity in Madge's words. _'If that's what it takes then that's what it takes._' Katniss thought to herself with a smile as she mentally made plans for her date with Peeta that night.

Katniss slowly lowered herself onto Peeta's lap and boldly reached down to guide him to her entrance. When she had directed his tip slightly into her she let go of his member and rested her arms on Peeta's shoulders. She whispered, "I love you" into Peeta's ear and his blue eyes connected with her grey ones. Katniss held his gaze momentarily before she dropped her entire weight down onto Peeta's erection burying him completely inside of her. The pain was intense but brief and a single tear slide down Katniss' cheek. She rested her head on his shoulder while adjusting to the fullness of having him entirely inside her. Peeta rubbed slow circles into Katniss' back while peppering kisses along her neck. A giggle burst forth from Katniss, "so, this was about as far as I thought it through. Now that the de-virginizing is over, feel like taking over?"

Peeta smiled and asked, "Are you okay?" Katniss nodded and kissed Peeta gently on the mouth. "I'm going to roll you onto your back. Between you clenching every time you laugh and this position I may explode." He explained as he pulled Katniss' legs tight around him, brought himself to his knees and then laid her on her back.

Peeta rocked his hips backwards and withdrew slightly before pushing back down into Katniss. She was hot and tight and felt better than he could have ever imagined. He did not anticipate lasting long but he wanted to try his hardest to make her feel what he was experiencing. Intense pleasure and indefinable emotion marked each motion of his hips. Every time he withdrew a little bit further than the previous thrust. Peeta wanted to stretch and fill her slowly but was having a hard time showing restraint. He could feel his own release building rapidly and feared that he could not hold off much longer.

"I'm so close. Are you close?" Peeta whispered into Katniss' hair as the inevitable approached rapidly.

The stinging was gone but it was replaced by an incredible pressure and fullness that was somewhere between discomfort and pleasure. Katniss leaned into Peeta's ear and whispered, "Let go, Peeta."

Peeta thrust into Katniss once more before collapsing on top of her reveling in the completeness that he found buried deep within the girl he loved. "You are amazing," he breathed into Katniss' ear as he slid out of her placing desperate kisses down her body. Peeta stopped to worship her breasts with his mouth before working his way down her stomach. He pushed down until his face hovered inches from her sex.

Katniss realized Peeta's intention and began to pull on his shoulders, "Peeta, stop. You don't have to do that. I mean, you were just there…"

Once Peeta realized that Katniss' hesitation had nothing to do with resistance and more about protecting him from something she feared unsavory he cut her off by spreading her lips and running his tongue down her center. Her hips bucked up into his face and he grasped each of her thighs tightly as they tried to clamp around his head. Spurred by Katniss' reaction he thrust his tongue inside of her and started to hum while simultaneously pinching and teasing her left nipple. Katniss rode Peeta's face until she found her release.

* * *

Later, in the shower Peeta questioned, "How do you feel?," as he lathered Katniss' hair.

She leaned back into Peeta's chest and let his strong hands work their magic on her scalp. "I feel fantastic. My legs are slightly like jelly and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sore but Peeta, it was beyond amazing being with you. How was it for you?"

"Aside from the embarrassment of being a 'minute' man, I don't think I've ever felt more complete than when I was inside you. I love you so much." He answered, unashamedly telling her exactly what he felt.

Katniss turned to the naked man behind her and playfully wrinkled her nose as she handed him the soap, "Peeta you are such a corn ball! I love you too. Now can you get my back?"

* * *

**A/N: I really struggled with this chapter. I knew exactly how I wanted the virginity scene to play out and I was very happy with it but I had a hard time with the other relationship fluffiness. I promise this story is going somewhere then having them constantly in each other's pants. Bear with me! :) Please review and let me know what you think, whether good or bad I truly love hearing from everyone and take into consideration each review! You guys rock! Thanks for sticking with me this far!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own THG or the characters.**

* * *

"Check this one out." Madge pointed to the computer screen as Katniss and Rue peered over her shoulder. The screen displayed a cheery brick duplex with the shutters and front door painted forest green.

Katniss chewed on a hangnail. "How much a month? Any bills provided?" Madge had the tendency to ignore her and Rue's financial limitations and focus primarily on how 'cute' or 'perfect' a house was. She did not do it intentionally it was just one of those things that happens when you grow up with plenty of money and are not concerned about budgeting. Katniss' dad had worked from a roustabout to a middle management position with Seam. She was accustomed to following a budget and understanding her financial means. Her father's latest promotion had really lightened the load for the Everdeen's but Katniss refused to indulge and take any money from them. Her rent and living expenses would be paid for with _her_ hard work. Another thing complicating the issue was Katniss' desire to protect Rue. Even though they were the same age, Rue's playful attitude and sweet nature reminded Katniss of her baby sister.

Rue's circumstances were starkly different from Katniss and Madge's. The eldest of several children, Rue, put long hours into retaining her scholarship with the cheerleading squad as well as working. The money she made she sent back to her family to help lighten their financial burden. Even with housing assistance and a meal plan from the university, Rue was constantly struggling with being able to send enough money home to her family afloat. It was one of the reasons that Madge and Katniss had agreed to move out with Rue. Part of the athletic scholarship was designated for the specific amount it cost to live in the athletic dorms and if they could find a cheaper place to live then the remaining balance would be Rue's to use as she pleased.

"Is it just the three bedrooms? I really don't want to have to find a fourth roommate." Rue added.

Madge turned to Katniss, "When split three ways it is actually $20 cheaper than your budget so you can relax, _Mom_." Katniss stuck her tongue out at Madge as she replied to Rue's question. "Just the three bedrooms so no worry there. What excites me the most is that it has a washer and a dryer! No more Laundromat for us."

"Well call and set up a viewing. I've got class and then I'll be planting until sunset to get all the gardens and beds ready for the alumni influx at graduation in a few weeks." Katniss blew the hair out of her face and looked exasperated. "Tomorrow morning would be good or maybe Friday, just not Saturday I'm working Saturday. Really, whatever works for you two." She finished before realizing that both Madge and Rue were glaring daggers at her. "What? That not soon enough?" Katniss feebly searched her mind for why she was getting hate stares from her two roommates.

"Please tell me you are fudging kidding me!" Rue popped Katniss on the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for? It's just a house, geez if the price is right go see it and sign the paperwork without me." Katniss rubbed her shoulder, "Just don't pop me again."

"Seriously, Katniss you have to be the most clueless person on the planet." Madge tossed her arms in the air in feigned disappointment. "You can't work Saturday it's the Spring scrimmage."

"Yeah, I know that." A mocking undertone playing in her voice, Katniss continued, "Which is why I took the Saturday shifts. I figured Peeta would be busy and that way I would have all day Sunday to spend with him. Duh!"

"She really doesn't get it does she?" Rue shook her head as she spoke directly to Madge.

Madge groaned and crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't think she does. Either she is really fucking clueless or really fucking self-centered…I like her, so I prefer to think it's clueless."

Katniss was steadily getting irritated at the pair in front of her. She had no clue what they were carrying on about and they were talking about her as if she was not in the room. "Quit being bitches, I'm right here. What's the big deal?"

"Peeta really is way too nice for you." Rue teased shaking her head in mock concern. "The Spring scrimmage is Saturday, did he tell you what exactly that means?"

"What is there to tell? I know what a scrimmage is. It's a fake game for practice purposes."

Madge raised a hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose, "It's so much more than that, Katniss. It is the Vols first string versus their second string and it's the first opportunity the fans and press get to see what the upcoming season will be like." Katniss still looked confused so Madge pressed on, "You need an ESPN app on your iPad or you just need to pay attention because the buzz this year is all about Peeta. Sports commentators and analysts have been debating for weeks as to whether or not his knee is strong enough to be first string or if he'll take the backseat to Cato."

"Oh, I see." Katniss was all that she could manage to mutter. Peeta had seemed stressed the last few weeks but she just assumed it was because finals week was coming up. He had been putting long days in between practice, weights, and class. Many days she only saw him an hour or two and a lot of that was spent having sex or napping. Katniss was really looking forward to the summer. Peeta would only have football to focus on so they would have more time together. Now she realized that she was still doing a horrible job of being a supportive girlfriend. Peeta never complained about anything and it was obvious there was something very big going on in his life.

"You know you don't deserve him, don't you?" Madge ribbed Katniss.

"Yeah, I know." Katniss glumly agreed, "I could probably live a thousand lifetimes and still not deserve him."

* * *

Peeta stepped into the steaming shower. With his eyes tightly closed, he let the hot water pour over his head and down his back. He was under so much pressure. The crazy thing was that Peeta was not sure if he even cared about the starting position. He had always enjoyed playing football because of the physicality and skillful playmaking it required but now it was beginning to feel more like a job. Coach was all over him like crazy. Pushing him and requiring him to stay later and work harder. As hard as Coach was pushing, Finnick was pushing even harder. He had not taken school very seriously and ended up with a degree that would get him nowhere. With a family to provide for, being a quarterback coach was his only hope at having a consistent and fulfilling job. Even his mother had let him down. The media had spent weeks scrutinizing and analyzing the two minutes he had played in the bowl game and turning his injury into a human interest piece. Mrs. Mellark had eaten that shit up and could be seen on TV raving about Peeta's ability to overcome adversity and push through against all odds. The only two people he even wanted to be around were Katniss and his father. Peeta knew that even if Coach released him tomorrow Mr. Mellark would be there with a hug and a tray of brownies ready to talk away his problems.

Peeta turned the shower off and exited to towel off. Thinking about Katniss brought a smile to his face. At first he had been thrilled that she never asked how practice went or if he thought he had won Coach's favor. However, now it was starting to hurt that the big announcement was rapidly approaching and she had not even shown interest. It was amazing to be able to come home and bury himself deep inside her and forget his problems. But he wished for just a little more attempt at emotional connection on her part. He knew she loved him because she said so, he just wished that her actions would show him too. Instead she was quiet and reserved, the only place she truly felt comfortable letting her guard down was the bedroom. _'I'm such a fucking girl sometimes.'_ Peeta mused to himself while dressing and heading down the hall to see Katniss.

* * *

When he entered the suite, Peeta could tell that something was off with Katniss. "What's wrong? You look upset." He observed while following Katniss into her room.

Katniss looked at him directly in the eyes, she wanted to say something and he could see that she was struggling over how to word it. Peeta's heart dropped. He immediately feared the worse. She was going to dump him before the most important day of his college career. It was more than he could take and he starting gulping air like a fish out of water.

"Peeta!" Katniss exclaimed before rushing to his side and motioning for him to sit down in her computer chair. "Peeta, hands over your head. Just breathe, Peeta."

Peeta took deep breaths and each time he exhaled he got out a few words, "…you want…you're done…break up…me…your done?"

Katniss clasped a hand to her mouth and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. Madge was right. No matter what she did she would always fall short of deserving Peeta. The words she had failed to form earlier sprang from her. "I love you, Peeta. I'm so sorry I suck at showing you." She noted that his breathing started to even out after her apology so she continued, "Besides my dad you are the best man I have ever known. I realize I may not have been there for you with all this team pressure you have been feeling, but I promise I did not realize the significance of your game Saturday. Madge and Rue told me today and I feel like such an idiot. Forgive me?"

Peeta pulled Katniss onto his lap and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He believed every word that she said. How could she have known the pressure he was under when he had not really told her? Peeta tightened his grip around her waist and whispered in his ear, "Only if you forgive me for being a pansy and having a panic attack in your bedroom? You know I love you, right?" He nuzzled his lips to her neck.

Katniss gasped as she felt Peeta use his tongue to trail the edge of her jaw. "Of course I know." She managed to get out before he captured her ear lobe between his teeth and started nibbling. Katniss could feel Peeta in a state of semi arousal through his sweats and knowingly pressed her bottom down into him moving her hips in a circle. "I thought we were going to have sandwiches with your dad." She queried as she reached behind her and dipped her hand underneath the band of Peeta's sweats and grasped his now fully erect member.

Peeta hissed at the feel of Katniss' small, calloused hand gripping him. He slid both of his hands up her stomach and forced them underneath her bra. Twisting a nipple between each set of fingers he cockily replied, "We are. But, first I am going to make you come so hard you will be too embarrassed to make eye contact with him."

Peeta picked Katniss up and perched her on the edge of the desk. He hurriedly pushed the laptop and her purse to the ground. Katniss wrapped her legs around Peeta's middle and pulled him in between her legs with strong thighs. He could feel the deliciousness of the warm heat that seeped from between her legs and decided to tease her before giving her what she wanted. In one motion he unfastened her pants and pulled them down by her belt loop. The tiny panties she wore were wet with desire. Katniss moved to remove the tiny scrap of fabric but Peeta stilled her hand and kneeled down. He lowered his face directly in front of her dripping folds. He could smell the distinct musk that was Katniss and unashamedly breathed in deeply before spreading her and plunging his tongue deep inside. As he literally tongue kissed her most intimate region, Katniss pulled at Peeta's hair.

Motivated by the hair pulling he started to suck on her delicate bundle of nerves and pump two fingers in and out of her. "Fuck. Peeta now, I need you inside me now." Katniss screamed as she started to climb towards a release. Peeta stood, quickly dropped his pants and boxers and entered her before she could ask again. Katniss' legs tried to wrap around Peeta but he pushed her knees out and spread her wide. He thrust deeply once and the angle of this new position caused both Katniss and Peeta to call the other's name. Withdrawing slightly, but never leaving her clenching walls, he thrust into her shallowly aiming for the sensitive spot between her entrance and full hilt. With his second shallow thrust he found the spot he was searching for. A full blown orgasm swept over Katniss unexpectedly and she arched her back causing her hands to slip from where they were supporting her. In an effort to prevent her from falling, Peeta wrapped her legs around him and pulled her up into his arms. Arms and legs wrapped around Peeta, she rode out the intense orgasm with him still buried deep inside her.

* * *

Neither Peeta nor Katniss heard the door open, "You have got to be fucking kidding me. Seriously?" Glimmer stood in the doorway staring at the pair before her. Peeta's strong arms held Katniss tightly to him as the last convulsions of her orgasm faded. They were still tangled up in one another and intrinsically connected by flesh. Both were completely clothed from the waist up but were stark naked from the waist down. "Wrap this shit up." Glimmer motioned to the pair before slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Peeta and Katniss started laughing which caused her walls to clench tightly and push Peeta's now semi-hard cock out of her. He moved to sit her back down on the edge of the desk but Katniss would not let go of him, "Has the moment passed or can I return the favor?" She questioned.

"I think the moment has passed. Dad will be waiting anyways." Peeta smiled at Katniss as her cheeks flamed red at the mention of Mr. Mellark. "See I told you that you would not be able to look at him in the eye tonight."

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**A/N: Thank you guys so much for your continued support! The reviews keep me going when I'm having a hard time actually writing a story and not just a lemon. I wish I wasn't such a perv! :)**

**It seems like even when I don't have a lemon planned one ends up getting written. I can't help it! I just love imagining ways that Katniss and Peeta would play with each other's bathing suit parts. In fact, in this chapter I cut the dinner with Mr. Mellark to fit in some desk loving- hope that is okay with everyone.**

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**Remember to add me to tumblr my name is kismet4891 as there is a real possibility someone will feel that I'm not following rules and my story will go missing. Eek!**


	12. Chapter 11 pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from THG.**

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The spring scrimmage was a few hours away and Katniss was struggling with what to wear. She could not ask Peeta. He had been so busy with all the preparations for the game that she had not seen him since the night when Glimmer had walked in on them. Madge had not been much help either and had rolled her eyes at Katniss and said, "Duh, wear orange." Her closet contained very little orange except for Peeta's oversized t-shirts and Gale's worn out Vols hat. Neither item seemed appropriate. She threw her hands up in exasperation as a shrill ring erupted from her computer indicating that she was receiving a call on Skype. Katniss was pleased to see that her baby sister was calling. Out of everything and everyone in Oklahoma, Prim was who Katniss missed the most.

"Katniss!" Prim exclaimed when Katniss answered the call. "I have something _BIG_ to talk to you about."

Katniss smiled at the way Prim gushed, "It's so good to see your face. Spill your big news, Little Duck. I can't talk long."

"I know Peeta's big game thingy is today and…" Prim trailed off; distracted by something she saw on the computer screen, "stand up. Let me look at what you're wearing." Katniss scowled at the computer screen and stood up to humor her sister.

"No. Not at all. You are not going to his game looking like that. What are you thinking, Katniss?" Prim admonished her sister. "You have to look put together but also like you didn't put a lot of effort into it. Geez, Katniss. Sweatpants?"

Staring directly into the camera eye, Katniss exaggeratedly rolled her eyes at her baby sister. "Apparently, I wasn't thinking. I plan on wearing jeans and something orange when I find it. When did you become such a fashionista? Now stop distracting me and tell me your big news. Is it about the dance you went to last night?"

"Somebody," Prim raised a thumb to her chest to indicate herself, "had their very first kiss last night and it was amazing."

"Primrose Everdeen! You are not old enough to be kissing anyone! I have half a mind to tell Momma not to let you go to any more school dances if that is what happens there." Katniss hollered at her very surprised sister through the computer.

"I am fifteen, Katniss! It was about time I had my first kiss. The only reason I waited this long was because it took Rory this long to figure out I liked him." Prim huffed loudly and then started in again, "Don't you get self righteous on me, Katniss. I know for a fact your stay with Peeta in _his _room."

Katniss' face flushed bright red. Prim had caught onto the secret she had been keeping from her parents. She decided to deflect and put the heat back onto Prim. "Rory? You stay away from the Hawthorne's! You hear me Prim? They are our friends not our boyfriends. Look what happened between me and Gale."

"You have Peeta and Gale has a new girlfriend too." Prim whined, "I don't see that anything bad happened between you guys at all. Both of you have moved on and now you can be best friends again. That's what Rory and I will do too. Just be happy for me Katniss?"

The news of Gale's new girlfriend surprised Katniss and she took a moment to answer Prim. "Okay, Little Duck. I'm happy for you. I just hate to think of my baby sister being old enough to have a boyfriend."

"Thanks, Katniss. I miss you and I love you."

"I love you too Prim. I'm still trying to talk Momma into letting your visit this summer."

"That would be the best!" Prim exclaimed, "Oh, and just wear your dark skinny jeans, that 3/4s length gray boat neck sweater with the little buttons on the sleeves and that orange scarf I got you for Christmas." Prim noticed Katniss' clueless expression, "You know the scarf is more of an accessory than something to keep you warm, right Katniss?"

"Thanks Prim. I'll talk to you soon. Let Rory know that I'll kick his ass if he hurts you in any way."

"I'm sure he already knows that." Prim giggled. "Love you! Please text me about how the game goes and be sure to tell Peeta good luck for me."

* * *

Before meeting Peeta, Katniss never had a reason to care for football. The frequent tackling and body contact between players seemed barbaric and the rules seemed excessive and made her head spin. If she had been in Oklahoma, her family and the Hawthorne's would be gathered at the lake fishing and cooking out. But, she was with Peeta now and this game was important to him so it was important to her.

Katniss and Madge had not been intending to sit with the Mellark family but when Mr. Mellark saw the girls looking for a place to sit he had insisted that they join him. "Peeta's own personal cheering section," he joked while leading the girls to their seats. "We have a bunch of seats on the fifty yard line. I know it's just a scrimmage but Peeta has worked so hard for this and after his knee injury I really wasn't sure this day would ever come." The older man paused and looked at the girls with emotion gleaming in his blue eyes before resting his hand on Katniss' shoulder, "There are a few people that are very excited to meet you! The entire Mellark clan is here plus some of mine and the Mrs. closest friends! My two older boys even made the trip to see Peeta play and my wife's parents came. Katniss, you'll finally get to meet the whole crew."

Katniss was stunned. Meeting Peeta's family was a complete surprise. _'Smile at him and when he turns around find the closest fucking exit.'_ Katniss loved spending time with Mr. Mellark but the idea of meeting Peeta's entire family terrified her. The few occasions she had spent time with Mrs. Mellark the woman had been polite but did not exude the warmth of Peeta and his father.

Madge, sensing the anxiety in her friend, looped her arm around Katniss' waist and whispered, "It'll be fine. You're here for Peeta. Just smile and engage in conversation and they will love you just like Peeta and I do."

Katniss turned and hissed into Madge's ear, "You know how I am at making friends. Most people don't like me or think I'm a bitch."

Madge squeezed Katniss to reassure her, "It's because you don't let them see how great you are. Follow my lead, you'll be fine. "

* * *

Mr. Mellark led them to a largest gathering of tow headed individuals that Katniss had ever seen and began introducing her to everyone. Mr. Mellark was still working through introductions when the players took the field in a blur of orange and white. Katniss' eyes searched for Peeta and found him staring back at her waving and smiling. She waved back and Peeta nodded his head and then took his position with the rest of the team.

A high pitched voice screeched, "Ohmigod, Delly! He was totally just searching the crowd for you." Both Katniss and Madge were suddenly aware of the three spray tanned blondes sitting in front of them with Mrs. Mellark.

"Of course he was looking for you. He was just devastated when you guys broke things off, Delly. It will mean so much to him that you're here. You have always been his biggest cheerleader!" Mrs. Mellark gushed at the girl directly beside her.

Katniss recognized the busty girl as the one she had seen Peeta with at the beginning of the year. Suddenly, the awareness of who the blonde girl talking about Peeta was clicked in Katniss' head. Jealously flooded through her body and caused a physiological response. Katniss' teeth clenched, body stiffened and stomach knotted. Not only was Peeta's high school girlfriend sitting in front of them but Mrs. Mellark was acting all buddy-buddy with her. In a two minute exchange, Mrs. Mellark had been exponentially friendlier to the irritating blonde than she had ever been with Katniss. Her fight or flight instinct was on overdrive and was rapidly pushing her towards fight.

In Katniss' purse, her phone buzzed with a text message. She chose to ignore it and continue mentally formulating her plan of confronting Delly. Madge grabbed the phone and pushed it into her hands. "Girl, I'm pretty sure you got a message. Better check it, could be important!" Katniss glared at Madge and took the phone but did not make a move to read the message. _"Just look_." Madge pleaded with her eyes.

Katniss opened her phone to read the message, but was immediately distracted. The girls in front of her were openly admiring Peeta's backside in his spandex football pants. They were tossing around words like, _'tight,' 'delicious,' _and _'yummy'_ while Katniss was throwing around the words _'bitch,' 'slut,'_ and_ 'cunt'_ in her own mind. "Katniss, just check your texts. Please!" Madge pleaded with words now instead of eyes.

Katniss looked down at her inbox and saw that her best friend had flooded it with messages:

"Ignore them. Do not make a scene."

"Peeta loves you. Forget them just focus on why we are here."

"Mrs. Mellark is a fucking douche."

"Breathe."

"You're not breathing."

"Ok. You have to admit his ass does look really fine in those pants."

The phone in Katniss' hands vibrated as she received another message, "Don't say anything just text me back. We can leave if you want but think about Peeta."

Katniss looked at her friend and gave her a tight lipped smile as she typed a response to the last message. "We are staying. You BETTER stop looking at his ass."

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**A/N: I know. Short chapter but originally it was close to 4000 words so I made it into two chapters. I'll be posting the rest a bit later.**

**Follow me on tumblr (kismet4891) where I cross-post this story in case of removal!**


	13. Chapter 11 pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own THG or the characters. I also do not profit from this fic in any way.**

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Delly and her sorority sisters became increasingly more irritating as the game went on. Every time Peeta so much as touched the ball the girls would shriek and fawn over Delly like she had a hand in his success. The quarterback is involved in every offensive play, so the girls were cackling incessantly for the better part of the first half. Delly was enjoying all of the attention and encouraging it by feigning demure humbleness. The only thing keeping Katniss sane was the snarky text conversation that she and Madge were secretly holding.

M: "Could Peeta's mom be any further up Delly's ass?"

K: "Right? Do you think she knows that Big Tits McGee was fucking half the football team while he was rehabbing his knee?"

M: "Of course not. She was too busy cross stitching 'Peeta + Delly = Love' on throw pillows and making scrapbook collages of their prom pictures."

K: "Oh silly me. I was so focused on the lovely baby blankets she knitted I forgot all about the throw pillows."

M: "Only the best for her hypothetical bleach blonde, orange skinned, future grandbabies. You're just jealous because Delly's 'love' single-handedly pulled him from the depths of depression and caused him to 'beat all odds' and overcome his knee injury."

K: "When Mrs. Mellark said that I about fucking laughed out loud. Half of the defensive line was balls deep in Delly when he recovering. Seriously though, you do realize how hard this is for me to still be sitting here with my mouth shut?"

M: "I do. You are doing fantastic. It doesn't matter what Big Tits or Mrs. Mellark thinks because Peeta is smitten kitten with you."

K: "I know he loves me. I just can't stand this much more. If I fashion a shank out of my nacho plate and cut this bitch will you bail me out? : )"

M: "OMG! Hahaha! Only if you promise to shove it in my ear drums and prevent me from listening to any more of this drivel."

* * *

Peeta was pushing himself to the limit. Coach had taken a big risk in retaining him as the starting quarterback and he knew he had to prove himself to play September. The extra time in the weight room had really paid off. Peeta's throwing yardage was a personal best. However, his knee injury had really affected his range of movement and his run game had suffered significantly. As the game came to a close, Peeta realized that his knee was weakening rapidly from playing through the pain. The pain was worth it because he put up some ridiculous numbers today; barring any unforeseen circumstance he had cemented his place as starting quarterback.

After the final huddle, Peeta headed towards Katniss. Earlier, he had scanned the crowd for her and saw that she was sitting with his family. Peeta was pleased to see that she had put herself out there and sit with them because he knew that it probably had not been easy for her. However, he was surprised to see Delly sidled up beside his mom. _'This can't be good. What the hell is her game plan?'_ Peeta thought to himself as he noticed Katniss and Madge directly behind her. _'Fan-fucking-tastic. I can only imagine how that went over.'_ Peeta knew exactly how to put Delly in her place and he just hoped that Katniss, who was vehemently against public displays of affection, would forgive him. He started to jog towards the barrier wall between the seats and the field. Instead of stopping when he reached the wall, Peeta leapt up and gracefully pulled himself to sit on the ledge.

Delly immediately made a bee line for him cooing and fawning over his game performance the entire way. Peeta ignored Delly and deliberately made eye contact with Katniss and beckoned her to him. Katniss took the steps two at a time, shoved Delly out of the way, wrapped her arms around Peeta and kissed him in front of everyone. Ignoring the loud gasps from Delly and her entourage, Peeta pulled Katniss into his lap and deepened the kiss. The camera man providing game feed noticed the commotion and put the smooching couple on the jumbo-tron. The remaining crowd started clapping and cheering in response. Katniss and Peeta became aware of the change in atmosphere around them and pulled away just in time to see Delly and crew storm off. Peeta touched his forehead to Katniss' and mouthed, _'I love_ _you'_ and she responded with a mouthed, _'You owe me'_ before hopping off his lap.

* * *

Mr. Mellark invited everyone back to the bakery to celebrate Peeta's amazing performance. Katniss and Madge were ushered into one of Peeta's older brothers' vehicles before they could refuse the invitation. Even though Katniss was ready to get away from the prying eyes of the Mellark family, Madge had actually taken a liking to one of Peeta's brothers. So, while Madge flirted with the middle Mellark son, Katniss dreamed of dirty things that she could do with Peeta later. He had really put her on the spot not warning her about his entire family being there and the whole make out session after the game. She did not blame him for Delly's attendance because he seemed just as surprised to see her as Katniss had been. As much as the kiss embarrassed her she was actually secretly pleased with how much it pissed Delly off. Katniss kept reminding herself that in a few hours her and Peeta would be able to get some much needed alone time.

* * *

When Peeta finally arrived at the bakery it took him thirty minutes to cross the room and get to Katniss. Everyone wanted to congratulate him and relay their favorite part of the game. He smiled graciously and exchanged pleasantries with everyone while keeping his eyes constantly on the dark headed girl waiting on him. He was used to Katniss' mood changes and could usually read her like an open book. Tonight was different though and he was beginning to get concerned because he was not able to gauge the temperature of her mood. Peeta assumed that she would be brooding and pissy from having to deal with Delly's bullshit all afternoon. He would not fault her for that, especially, when his mom had a tendency to really play into Delly's craziness.

It was not fire he saw in Katniss' eyes as he watched her. No, it was something completely different and of a gentler nature. The closer he got to her he realized it was the antithesis of anger she was displaying. Katniss' eyes shone with love and desire. She wanted him but not just in a sexual way. It was longing to be near him and lust for the pleasure that only _he_ could bring her. Peeta realized instantly that this was what he had been waiting for. Katniss had shown him 'throw you over the chair and rip your pants off' lust before but never this open, honest longing. The realization stopped Peeta in his tracks. He had long feared that Katniss would never be able to love him the way that he loved her. But, here she was broadcasting to the entire room exactly how she felt about him. Peeta wasn't sure what to do. His body was a mass of mixed responses to this newfound realization. His eyes glazed over and he feared he may cry but Peeta's manhood had a completely different response and it began to stiffen.

Peeta approached Katniss and pulled her into a bear hug. Using the close proximity to his advantage, he whispered in her ear, "Do you realize how much I love you?"

Katniss nuzzled into Peeta's neck and put her lips to his neck, "I love you too. You were pretty amazing out there today." Before pulling away she nipped his neck playfully and then planted a quick kiss to the spot. "That's for all the PDA."

"I figured it would come at a price. Don't be mad I had to scare Delly away!"

"That's the only reason I'm not mad. God, she is such a horrible bitch. What on earth did you see in her? Does it have something to do with the fact that she is your mom's BFF or something?" Katniss teased.

"Will you hate me if I say that had a little something to do with it? If you haven't noticed I'm kinda a people pleaser and Delly is the daughter of one of my mom's closest friends from college. They were in the same sorority and now Delly is in that sorority."

"Excellent, explains why your mom hasn't warmed up to me. Will she ever like me?"

Peeta smiled at Katniss, surprised by her desire to be on Mrs. Mellark's good side, "I didn't take you as the type to care about what others thought. What an interesting development!"

"Fuck your mom. Maybe I just thought it would be easier to get into those tight little pants of yours if your mom liked me."

"I take it you approve of the uniform?"

"More than approve. I've been thinking about seeing you naked since I saw you on the field. Then I got fired up because apparently I'm not the only one who appreciates your backside." Katniss admitted, "It took everything I had to not beat Delly and her sorositute friends down. The way they were eyeballing you went all over me. Fuck, even Madge was giving you the once over."

The semi that Peeta had gotten earlier while watching Katniss was now a full blown hard on. "You have no idea how hot it is when you're jealous." He smiled and leaned down to speak directly into her ear, "I'm so hard for you right now. Good thing I already gave Granny a hug or things would get awkward…quick."

Katniss intentionally pressed her backside into Peeta's groin eliciting a groan from him. "Think we can slip the party for ten minutes to rendezvous in the office? I'm so wet from imagining peeling those pants off of you it wouldn't take long."

* * *

Peeta roughly grabbed for Katniss' arm and pulled her towards the office. They successfully dodged party goers and made it to the back office in record time. He shut and locked the door behind them before smashing his lips to Katniss'. Peeta fumbled with the fly to Katniss' jeans while she nibbled her way up his jaw and to his ear. As Peeta shoved the jeans down her petite hips, Katniss found the sensitive spot directly below his earlobe and Peeta groaned loudly. "Hush, baby." She cooed as she turned around and laid her torso over the desk and spread her legs to an open stance.

Peeta hastily worked on getting his pants and boxer shorts down around his ankles. He reached out and caressed Katniss' ass through her thin cotton panties. He pulled back his hand and smacked her bottom and she stifled a shriek. "Perfect." He murmured and spanked her again before taking his length and rubbing her sex through her panties. "Katniss, you're so wet baby."

Katniss pushed against Peeta searching for friction, "It's for you. I need you inside, Peeta." She reached back and pulled her underwear slightly to the side and Peeta slammed himself inside her. "Oh fuck!" Katniss cried. They quickly found a rhythm. Peeta thrust into Katniss and she pushed back with her hips. The edge of Katniss' panties created an almost unbearable friction for both her and Peeta. For Katniss, the fabric rubbed intoxicatingly against her nub with every plunge from Peeta. The fabric rubbed the side of Peeta's shaft so that with every withdrawal and entry he was getting friction from the outside too. They struggled to keep quiet as they both climbed to an intense orgasm but nothing could stifle the raw sound of Peeta's flesh slapping against Katniss' as he pounded into her.

"I'm so close." Peeta groaned out and slipped his hand into the front of Katniss' panties to rub her tiny bundle of nerves with fervor. Katniss' walls tightened around Peeta and she arched her back up off the desk as sensations of pleasure wracked her body. Katniss' tight walls milked Peeta's length and he found himself following her into his own release shortly after.

* * *

The pair dressed quickly and then checked each other for any telltale signs of their love making. "My legs feel like jelly and I want a nap." Katniss admitted to Peeta as she laid her head on his chest. "I didn't know it could be like that. You teach me something new every time, will you ever stop amazing me?"

Peeta kissed the top of Katniss' hair, "It's not me. It's us. You and me together, Katniss. We are amazing together." He could feel her relax and smile into his chest, "That's the difference loving someone makes. That is why the sex is so good because even when it's rough and quick it is still an expression of our love."

"Shit. Peeta you are such a…"

Peeta cut her off before she could finish, "…a cornball. I know, I know. But you love it."

Katniss sighed, "I do. I love it and I love you. You're my cornball."

Peeta placed a kiss on her forehead before sighing, "Always."

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**A/N: Okay so there is the rest of chapter 11…Let me know what you think!**

**Also (in unrelated news), I have a one shot written that I need some help refining before posting. If anyone is interested in reading it and giving suggestions I would appreciate it. You can reach me via review, PM, or on tumblr (kismet4891). Until next time…You guys are awesome! **


	14. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own THG. I do not profit from what I write.**

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**A/N: I hope that the movement in time is easy to figure out. Pretty much at the beginning of the chapter it is summer and by the end it's the beginning of autumn.**

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The drive to the airport was surprisingly silent. Peeta knew that Katniss was beyond excited to be picking up Prim for a week long stay. However, she was interestingly mum on the subject. He was really looking forward to meeting Katniss' sister. The devotion and love that Katniss had for her sister was evident in the reverent way she spoke of her. The two girls communicated via text message every single day and he knew that if Katniss was preoccupied on the computer or her phone then it was Prim she was talking too.

He was shocked when Katniss asked him to accompany her to the airport to pick up the fifteen year old. Peeta had just assumed that his girlfriend would want to spend some alone time with her sister before he got to meet Prim in person. It felt like a big deal that Katniss was allowing him this much access to her sister. He suddenly felt self conscious about meeting Prim. She would be the first of the Everdeen clan, not counting Gale, which he would get to meet.

"What's going on in your gorgeous head?" Katniss' voice interrupted Peeta's internal debate.

Peeta reached over and gave her knee a gentle squeeze, "I just realized that meeting Prim is kind of a big deal, isn't it?" He gazed directly at Katniss and tried to gauge what she was thinking.

"Um, yeah it is." She paused and weighed her words carefully before proceeding. The more time Katniss spent with Peeta the more capable she became at determining his moods based on how his eye color shifted. Right now they were a stormy blue that bordered on gray, he was concerned. "At first I thought that maybe we would meet up with you for a meal or two but then I realized that I was being selfish."

Peeta frowned as he tried to decipher what Katniss meant, "Selfish? Sorry, I'm not following."

Katniss rolled her eyes, not sarcastically but pensively, and blew air between her lips as she worked through how to communicate what she wanted to say. "I guess I didn't want to share. You and Prim are my two favorite people. Both of you guys are so amazing that I did not want to share either of you with anyone…even each other."

"Are you afraid that she won't like me?" Peeta became nervous as he suddenly realized just how big of a deal Prim's visit was.

"Impossible. She already loves you because I love you. Every time I talk to her she asks about you. Just like how you always ask about her."

"Funny, isn't it?" Peeta muses out loud.

This time when Katniss rolled her eyes it was intentionally sarcastic, "Okay, I'll bite. What's funny, Peeta?"

"The fact that you accused me of loving blondes so much but you're the one with a baby sister, best friend, and boyfriend that all have blonde hair." Peeta reached over and tugged on the end of Katniss' braid playfully, "I think the bias is all yours Miss Everdeen."

Katniss crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to be angry, "Ha. Ha. Ha. You are hilarious Peeta." She laughed before dropping her arms and leaning over, her mouth inches from Peeta's ear and purred, "You know when you call me Miss Everdeen it makes me want to play teacher with you."

Peeta's face flushed at Katniss' forward statement. He was at a loss for words and said the first thing that popped into his mind. "Ah, what a dirty mind you have." Peeta ran his hand up Katniss' thigh and let it his fingers skim the inseam of her shorts. "I think I could be talked into playing a game of naughty teacher."

A soft moan escaped Katniss' lips and she reached down and stilled Peeta's exploring finger tips. "Play nice, Mellark. My baby sister will soon be joining us and as much as I want to we don't have time for this."

Peeta moved his hand back to rest on Katniss' knee before raising an eyebrow in her direction. "Now, remind me again how long Prim is going to be here."

* * *

Prim's week in Knoxville passed quickly and Katniss watched in awe as Peeta effortlessly wooed Prim. When she first arrived, her talkative baby sister was rendered completely speechless in Peeta's presence. She carefully studied and watched Peeta for a few hours before her initial shyness disappeared and was replaced by exuberance. Peeta adored the blonde girl and had spent her trip indulging her every whim. They held detailed discussions about the mean girls at school, he gave her advice about Rory, and spoiled her with every bakery treat his father had available.

On the morning of her departure, Katniss found Prim stuffing dirty clothes and toiletries into her suitcase. "I'm going to miss you so much." She stated while squeezing her baby sister's shoulder. "I can't believe a week has already passed."

"I know." Prim whined. "Oklahoma is going to seem soooo boring now! Seriously, you guys are so lucky here."

Katniss laughed, "I don't know about lucky. School is hard work. You just like spending time with Peeta." She teased her sister, "I'm starting to think you like him more than me."

"Hogwash, Katniss, hogwash! I still love you the most." Prim asserted before questioning her sister, "You know why I like Peeta so much?"

Katniss pretended to consider Prim's question very seriously before throwing her hands in the air and stating, "Because he is hotter than a Jonas brother? Or, is it because he is fattening you up like Christmas ham? Maybe because he listens to you babble about Rory and I don't?"

"Oh, you think you are so clever." Prim responded to Katniss' ribbing. "I'm not even going to tell you now!" The petite blonde stuck her tongue out. "Oh, and the Jonas brothers are so yesterday Katniss. Seriously?"

"Sorry sis, I forgot you had the Bieber Fever now." Katniss wrapped her arms around Prim's mid section, pinned her arms to her sides and started tickling mercilessly. "Stop growing up on me." Katniss demanded as she continued tickling.

The two girls fell to the floor in a fit of giggles trying to catch their breath. Katniss was still lying on her back, looking at the ceiling when Prim interrupted her train of thought. "You're different, you know?" The blonde girl propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at her big sister. "That's not a bad thing. The different is a good different."

Prim's statement stunned Katniss, "I'm the same Prim. Just because I'm here and you are there doesn't mean we are different."

"I don't mean that _our_ relationship is different. I mean _you_ are different." Prim paused collecting her thoughts. "It's him. It's Peeta. I like him so much because of the way that he has helped you."

Katniss sat up quickly, "You are right, Little Duck. Peeta is very special. But, I'm not any different."

"Yes you are. You smile more and when you are with him you are so much more relaxed. Love is a really becoming look on you Katniss. It's a good thing."

"I do love him, Prim." Katniss face flushed red at her sister's intuition. "But, please don't tell mom and dad. They'll want to meet him and I think dad will be so disappointed I've moved on from Gale."

Prim reached out and took her sister's hand in hers, "We kept it a secret over Christmas break and I can keep it now. It'll be hard though, now that I actually know him and see what he has done for you."

* * *

It was a blistering hot September afternoon but despite being drenched in sweat, chills wracked Peeta's muscular frame. To the world and most football fans, the first non conference game was a necessary evil to work the kinks out until conference play. For Peeta, it was something huge. It would be his first official game as the head quarterback for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. He had continually proved himself in practice and even though he was only a sophomore he had risen in the ranks as a team leader. The roar of the stadium was nothing compared to the blur of thoughts and nerves flying through Peeta's brain. Somewhere in the crowd was the girl he loved. Her quiet strength and determination motivated him when his body ached and the pain in his knee was unbearable. With her presence, Katniss had motivated him to be the best that he could at everything.

* * *

Katniss and Madge were pushing through the throng of people after the game when she realized her phone was buzzing in her pocket. She pulled her phone out and noticed a text message from Prim glaring back at her from the home screen. "Warning! Mom, Dad, the HAWTHORNES, and half of Seam all saw. You are dead." Immediately, images of everything that Katniss had done at college that would be embarrassing for her parents to find out popped in her brain.

Madge noticed her friend's sudden change in behavior. "Katniss, is everything ok?" She questioned with genuine concern.

"Uh, I'm not sure." Katniss frowned as she stared at the phone, not even raising her eyes to meet Madge's, "I've got to call Prim."

Concern evident on her face, Madge nodded. "Yeah go ahead. We have quite a walk ahead of us anyway."

The phone rang once before Prim picked up, "You are dead meat!" Prim exclaimed not even bothering to greet her sister. "Like road kill left on the side of the road after an Indian summer dead meat."

Katniss was confused and a little disgusted after her sister's descriptive analogy. "Prim, what are you talking about?"

"It would have been nice to have some warning." Prim's words blurred together as she excitably yelled into the phone. "Geez, I mean I know how you and Peeta are when you are together. I spent that whole week in Knoxville pretending not to get grossed out by how handsy you guys are." Katniss felt her stomach start to churn; whatever Prim was talking about was not good. "I thought you weren't ready to go public but then you went and did _that_? What were you thinking?

The walk back to their house was almost over and Katniss was just as confused as when she first called Prim. "What did we do? I'm so confused."

"Gale, fuh-_freaking_-flipped his shit." Prim paused long enough for Katniss to realize that whatever was going on was worse than she could have imagined. "Hazelle had to take him to the ER because Mom is pretty sure he broke some knuckles on the sheet rock he punched. Dad was _not_ happy at all he started griping about how he sent you there for an education not to be seduced by an overly sexed Adonis. He actually said that, Kat, he said 'overly sexed Adonis.'" Prim laughed into the phone. "It was hilarious. Can you imagine someone calling Peeta that?"

Katniss and Madge had arrived at their house and Katniss quickly sat on the couch, "PRIMROSE EVERDEEN, tell me what you're talking about right now." Madge had been walking to her bedroom but upon hearing Katniss yell into her phone she decided to stick around and find out what the commotion as all about.

Prim sighed, exasperated with her sister for not catching on. "I'm talking about your appearance on UT's promo video."

"My what?" Katniss was clueless as to what Prim was talking about.

"Let me start from the beginning. You know the watch parties that Seam holds for all the OSU and OU games?" Prim had begun to calm down and was now easier for Katniss to understand over the line.

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, Dad, Mr. Hawthorne, and several other guys pitched in and bought the season ticket package on the satellite so we could watch the Tennessee games too since you go there." Realization was beginning to dawn on Katniss. Her parents had somehow figured out about Peeta from watching him play.

"The first half was good and every time Peeta's face was on the TV I kept it cool. I silently cheered for him, even though it was super tough." Katniss was relieved that Prim wasn't the one who gave them away.

Prim prattled on. "Then at half time the UT promo video played. You know where they show students in the laboratory, students eating lunch on blankets in front of the library, students going to games, etcetra, etcetra to try and lure people into going to their school."

Katniss realized she was holding her breath and exhaled loudly. "I know what you're talking about."

"You should have warned me that you were the star of UT's video this year!"

"Why? Did they catch me planting? Was I in the horticulture lab or something?" Katniss didn't think that Gale would punch a wall if the camera caught her planting flowers but it did not hurt to hope.

"Nope. You and Peeta were smooching…with tongues…on the football field." Prim drew the statement out enunciating the word 'tongues' making it sound like a dirty word.

The world seemed to crash down around Katniss. The kiss after the spring scrimmage was coming back to haunt her in the worst possible way. "Oh. Fuck."

"Yeah. Oh fudge is right." Prim's tone was deadly serious. "Mom will be calling you soon as she gets dad calmed down. I just wanted to warn you."

Katniss dropped her face into her hands. "Thank you, Little Duck."

"No problem, sis. The good news is sounds like we are making a family trip to see you very soon."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay in update! I'm having trouble finding motivation. If you have a favorite song that reminds you of college, Katniss & Peeta, or anything that you think would help me stay motivated please let me know and I'll add it to my writing play list for this story.**

**I wanted to thank everyone that has checked out my newest story 'First Speech.' I know a lot of you have been reading it and waiting for an update here.**

**Thank you so much for your continued support with alerts and awesome reviews! Let me know what you think! :)**


	15. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Mature Content...Proceed with caution.**

* * *

The debacle of having her relationship exposed to her family on television was difficult for Katniss, but reconciling her feelings about the incident and her feelings for Peeta were proving increasingly more troublesome. Katniss knew that she loved Peeta, but she also loved her family. The phone calls following the televised kiss had been stressful and left Katniss wondering which way was up. Prim had been supportive and rallying for Katniss. Nonetheless, her mom had expressed disdain for being kept in the dark for so long about Peeta. Mrs. Everdeen felt that since Katniss had not told them about Peeta, she was harboring some big secret about him. That, coupled with the fact he was a collegiate athlete and kind of a big deal at UT did not help her cause. Her dad was concerned that Peeta's motivations for dating a girl like Katniss were less than noble and had something to do with her innocence and high intelligence.

_They don't know Peeta like I do ,_ Katniss thought to herself; Peeta loved her for who she was and their resulting sexual relationship was something that Katniss needed just as much as he did, maybe even more. Plus, he was smart enough that he did not need assistance with homework to stay NCAA eligible. How could she prove this to her family when it seemed like only Prim was on her side? Katniss realized that by distancing herself from Peeta, she had hurt him. She could hear it in his voice every time they spoke, but he remained respectful of her wishes and gave her the distance she needed to sort things out.

* * *

Peeta could hardly wait to get home. The away game was just far enough away that they had to fly but close enough that the flight was only a few hours long. He preferred it this way; flying was always better than riding on an uncomfortable charter bus for hours surrounded by the smell of sweat and male bonding. Peeta could not wait to see Katniss. The past few weeks had been trying for the couple as Katniss attempted to sort out how she felt about their relationship being outed for her family and everyone else to see. It bothered Peeta only because it worried Katniss so much. She had pulled away from him emotionally, as well as, making herself distant proximally and he had seen her only a few times. Peeta hoped that tonight he would be able to get Katniss to talk to him about what she was feeling. He had asked her to meet him at the small airport that chartered the team flights. Lots of fans, family members, and girlfriends were always there to welcome the team back but Katniss had claimed that it made her feel uncomfortable and that she would rather wait for him at his apartment.

Peeta optimistically pulled the door open to his apartment but then his heart immediately sank to his stomach. The lights were off and Katniss was not there to greet him. Peeta dropped his overnight bag beside the door before flopping onto the couch. He should have prepared himself that she might not come but doing so would be admitting that there was distance growing between them. Between his frustration with Katniss bottling up and pulling away from him, and now her blatant disregard for her promise, Peeta was a ball of nervous energy. He started to entertain the very real fear that this could be the end of their relationship and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Eager for a distraction, Peeta switched the television on and tried to get lost in meaningless programming.

* * *

Katniss woke suddenly; it felt really late- later than it should. She thrashed around, looking for her phone to check the time. When she realized it was 2:00 am and that Peeta was not home yet, she was terrified. Her phone did not show any missed calls or messages. Peeta would call if he was going to be late- she just knew he would. _Something has happened to him_! The thought crowded her brain pushing out all rational thought and made blood pound behind her eyes. Distantly, she heard the noise of a television, but what it meant did not register. All Katniss could think about was getting out of there and finding Peeta. She pushed herself up out of bed wearing only one of Peeta's oversized t-shirts and her simple, cotton underwear. "Peeta!" Katniss called his name as she grabbed her jeans and sneakers and headed towards the living room. The television was on and Katniss could make out Peeta's sleeping form on the couch. She cried his name again and Peeta opened his eyes and sat up on the couch.

The air in the room was charged with the raw emotions of the pair, creating a swirling mass of unspoken sentiment. Fear, love, despair, lust, relief, exhaustion, and excitement pulsed between the two as they gazed at one another from across the room. Peeta could not believe his eyes. Katniss was standing at the other side of the room. She looked upset, shaken, and beautiful clothed in only his t-shirt.

"Peeta!" Katniss shakily exclaimed as she dropped her sneakers and jeans. Tears of relief pushed out the corners of her eyes. "Damn you! I was so scared." Her arms wrapped tightly around her midsection in attempt to settle the tremors that were wracking her body. "I..I…I don't know what I thought but I was so scared. How long have you been here?"

Peeta stood and crossed the room to reach Katniss. "I've been here for awhile. Are you okay?" Genuine concern flashed in Peeta's eyes, he could see Katniss panting and the tears moving down her cheeks. She was distraught. He wanted to reach out and pull her to his chest, reassure her that everything was okay, but everything was _not_ okay. Katniss was slipping through his fingers, pulling away from him, and moving on. Peeta refused to forfeit, she could try and give up on their relationship but he would not. Spurred by the desire to claim her, to mark her as his and to make her _know_ the depths of his love he quickly pulled her body to his. Peeta did not seek her mouth but her eyes and held Katniss' gaze with intense purpose _willing_ her to feel the connection. "I'm right here, like always, I'm always here. Where have you been?"

Katniss looked up at Peeta. She realized he was not talking about earlier that evening; he was referring to her distance the last few weeks. "I'm here now."She reached up and twined the curls at the nape of his neck in her fingers. Their faces were inches apart and Peeta's breath was hot against her face. She was incredibly aroused by his proximity and display of dominance. Katniss realized she needed Peeta in the most carnal way. As the burn of arousal built between her legs, she found herself seductively presenting him a challenge, "What are you going to do about it?"

Peeta responded immediately by crushing her to his chest with his left arm, while his right hand tore at her panties. He ripped them from Katniss and tossed them to the side. Peeta's want for Katniss was overwhelming as he reached for his waistband and his shorts pooled at his ankles. Peeta _needed_ to connect with Katniss and show her exactly what he was feeling. She could not give up on them, _he_ would not allow it.

Peeta placed a hand on either side of her bottom and easily lifted her lithe form to wrap around him. The tip of his hardness pushed up against her center, finding her wet and ready. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her forehead against his, and gave his mouth a quick kiss. Peeta pulled hard on her hips until he was buried completely inside of Katniss. The sensation of being sheathed together caused Peeta's knees to buckle slightly and Katniss to gasp loudly. They stared at each other, completely united, and held onto one another tightly savoring the feeling of completion that their joining had brought. He backed her up against a wall to help support the additional weight of holding Katniss. Peeta breathed heavily from his exertion, so when the words "I love you, always" escaped his lips, they sounded more like a whispered prayer than a declaration.

"I love you," Katniss breathed against Peeta's mouth before using the leverage of her arms around his neck to propel her hips back. The backwards action of her hips caused Peeta to withdraw slightly from Katniss, so she rolled forward again to bring him back within her walls. The friction was minimal but enough to spur Peeta into holding tightly onto her behind and thrust his hips forward. They were separating enough to cause a delicious friction but never enough that Peeta ever completely left Katniss's body. Together, they forged to find the rhythm they both so desperately needed. Peeta's arms burned in protest from supporting the weight of another person. His fatigue coincided with Katniss beginning to seek a quicker rhythm. "Harder, baby, faster," she demanded with her forehead still pressed tightly against Peeta's.

To relieve the ache in his arms and legs, Peeta lowered the tangled mess that was he and Katniss to the floor and gently laid her down before positioning himself on top of her. Her legs were still wrapped around him and he lowered himself to allow their chests to become flush. Peeta slid one arm underneath her and with the other arm he propped himself up on his elbow. Katniss reached out and grabbed Peeta's backside, she dug her nails into the tight flesh of his bottom to incite him to resume moving inside of her. She was climbing quickly and ready for release, but Peeta had other things in mind.

Peeta lowered his mouth to Katniss's and kissed her softly, pulling at her bottom lip with his and gently caressing her mouth with his own. "I won't give up on us," he murmured into her lips before finding her eyes with his. "I need to know you need me," Peeta pleaded as he gradually withdrew from Katniss and then pushed back in slowly.

"I need you," Katniss responded as she pulled on Peeta's back and pressed back against him. "I need you to go faster."

In this moment, her frenzied pleas were not what Peeta wanted to hear. He was making love to Katniss, pouring himself into the act of manifesting his feelings for her into a tangible form, and expecting her to understand the complexity of the action. Yet, she was entirely focused on the physicality of the moment. He withdrew completely from her and shifted so that his erection lay along her thigh just far enough from where they were meant to connect that she could not seek him by rolling her hips. "Do you even understand what you mean to me?" Peeta postured rhetorically, his open palm lying on the side of Katniss' face with a single finger tracing the lines of her forehead. "You mean everything to me."

Initially, when Peeta paused their coupling Katniss was irritated. She was so close and a release was just what she needed after the hell of thinking that something had happened to Peeta. She needed to lose herself in him, but he needed to hear that she loved him. The moment was heavy between them as Katniss realized the weight of what Peeta was pleading for her to say. Yes. She loved him and he knew that, but the profundity of what he was requesting was eons deeper than that. He needed the unspoken promise between them to grace her lips. Peeta was desperate to know just exactly where he stood with her. He needed to know that he meant as much to her as she did to him. Peeta was pleading with her to stay with him completely and not hide for fear of her parents' approval.

"I hear you," she breathed as she pulled on his neck to bring his lips to hers. "I need you," Katniss reassured as she kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you," she stated as her hips rooted to find him and she promised "I will not leave you," as their bodies connected again. Peeta slid himself inside of Katniss, and she arched her back to meet his thrust. She moaned deeply at the return of the phenomenal pressure that the presence of Peeta inside her produced.

"Say it again," Peeta demanded his left hand pinning Katniss' hip in place. He began to move again, quickly working himself in and out of her at a heightened pace.

Katniss forced herself up onto her elbows so that her face would be inches from Peeta's before proclaiming, "I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

Peeta moaned deeply at Katniss' declaration. _She needed him. She loved him. She would not leave him. _When she propped herself on her elbows, Katniss had inadvertently changed the angle of Peeta's entrance, and he now found that his thrusts were more shallow than before. While the momentum was building quickly for him, he could tell that this new angle provided an advantage for Katniss as he stroked a special spot inside of her with each propulsion of his hips. She was close to the edge and already tightening around him as he moved his hand from her hip and slipped it to where they were connected, working circles around her most sensitive nerve. As she began to unravel around him, Peeta pulled on her hip bones with both hands, bringing her to him quickly and allowing her contracting walls to carry him over the edge with her.

* * *

Once Peeta had rolled off of Katniss, she immediately stretched her arms above her head while wiggling her toes. "Oh my. That was intense." She reached over and mussed Peeta's hair. "Why didn't you come wake me when you got home? I woke and was terrified something had happened to you on the airplane ride."

"When I got home and the lights were off, I just assumed you didn't come." Peeta admitted. "Things had been so strained between us lately. I just wanted to lose myself in some television." He lay on his side facing Katniss, running his hand through her hair and pulling the knots and tangles free.

Katniss moved to face him. "Peeta, I'm sorry about that. I was just trying to make sense of everything. My parents were so upset and I'd never let them down before."

He looked at her, confused as to how her being with him could possibly hurt her parents but wanting her to know that he took her concerns seriously. "You know you could have talked to me about it. I could have helped."

Katniss chewed on this thought before answering, "I know that now." She rolled back over onto her back and sighed heavily. This was not a conversation she wanted to be having after sharing a moment like she just had with Peeta.

"What's so wrong about us being together anyways?" Peeta was baffled as to why the Everdeens would object to their pairing. His dad loved Katniss and his mom was quickly warming to the idea. "Why didn't you tell your parents?"

Katniss debated how to answer this. She feared hurting Peeta and had done enough of that lately but telling him anything less than the truth was insulting to the promise that she had made in the throes of lovemaking. "I don't know," she stammered as she shared the truth. "I think I was just afraid they wouldn't like you."

The revelation that Katniss made was heavier than what Peeta was prepared for. Not like him? That was a new one for him. He had always been well liked and respected. Peeta could tell that Katniss was becoming upset sharing these things with him so he tried to lighten the mood. "Puh-lease, who doesn't love me? I mean, I am Peeta Mellark." He smiled at her brightly, attempting to portray levity.

"Where I come from things are different." Katniss thought deeply about how to explain the state of affairs in her hometown so that Peeta would understand. "There is a division of sorts, and you and I would be on opposite sides of the division. You are a football star and I'm just some girl from out of state on scholarship."

Peeta was angered at her admission. "Katniss, you know that is bullshit- all of it, every single word. I play football but it isn't what defines me, just like you've got the brains to get a scholarship but it isn't who you are."

"My daddy just can't make sense of what a golden boy like you would want with Seam trash," Katniss sputtered, embarrassed to admit the truth of her words.

He could not believe that the words 'trash' and 'golden boy' had exited her mouth in the same breath. "Katniss, I don't even know what that means but I guarantee you that your dad doesn't think you're trash. Oh, and please, 'golden boy'? Seriously?"

"I know, Peeta, and I'm not saying he thinks I'm trash. It's about knowing where you come from; my daddy and his daddy and his daddy before that have always worked for Seam. He can't forget that, especially when it comes to me and Prim. It's his way of protecting us."

Peeta was exasperated, tired, and did not understand what Katniss was playing at. "I have no clue what any of that means and I don't really care because I love you and that's all that should matter."

"You are right, it is all that should matter; but it isn't." She quietly admitted. "What my family thinks is important to me, even if it isn't always what I want to hear."

Peeta wrapped his arms around Katniss. "It matters to me too, but don't you think you should give me a chance to meet them? You have to put faith in them that they will try to get to know me before you write us both off."

"About that," she lifted her head to face him. "They will be here over Prim's fall break to visit and it was stressed that they expect to meet you."

"Bring it on," Peeta assured. "I can't wait to meet your family."

* * *

**A/N: I want to extend a HUGE thank you to my substitute beta. She is awesome and I can't thank her enough! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! **

**I want to thank all of you for sticking with me through this and being patient and giving me nudges along the way to keep me motivated and working on this chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought, good or bad, because this chapter took so much to get out that I need to know whether or not the effort was worth it.**

**Last, a big thank you to everyone who suggested songs- I listened to every single one of them and there was a very special song that I took notice of and based a lot of this chapter off of (you know who you are!).**


	16. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything HG related.**

* * *

Peeta quietly rapped on the door of Finnick and Annie's new home. In his arms he carried a basket filled with assorted bread and brownies, several casseroles, and one tiny 'Go Vols!' onesie. The Odair's had welcomed their newborn son just a week earlier and Peeta was excited to meet the newest addition.

Finnick appeared at the door wearing ratty sweatpants and a shirt that had seen better days. "If it isn't my favorite replacement, come on in, make yourself at home."

Peeta stepped into the foyer and appraised the modest home. "My dad sent a bunch of food for you and Annie. The lasagna and casseroles are frozen but the heat up times are written on the top of the containers." Peeta handed the food basket to Finnick but grabbed the onesie from the top. "This is for the little guy from Katniss and me. I told her it was too small but she assured me that it would fit."

Finnick grabbed a roll from the top of the pile and shoved it in his mouth, "Thanks man. I really appreciate it. We don't have time to do anything and have been living off of take out which isn't good for Annie as she recuperates." Finnick slapped Peeta on the back before adding, "This is amazing." He paused to chew the remainder of the bread before continuing, "Want to meet him?" A sheepish grin curled on Finnick's face. "I guess the real question is more like want to hold him while Annie and I shower and eat?"

Peeta was nervous. He loved children but with being the youngest of three brothers he had never held or been around a newborn. He could tell from Finnick's attire, bags under his eyes, and the way he had torn into the basket of food that the new dad needed a break. If Finnick needed a breather, than he was positive that Annie must be absolutely beat. "Sure. Just show me what I need to know."

Finnick led Peeta into the sitting room where Annie sat on the couch covered with a blanket. "Peeta, it's so nice for you to come and visit." The quiet woman greeted Peeta with a smile.

"Sweetheart, when the little guy is done eating, Peeta agreed to watch him so we can shower and eat a real meal."

Annie was feeding the baby. Peeta blanched at the realization and his cheeks colored, he knew how babies ate but the fact that it was happening under the blanket while he was in the room surprised him. "Uh, if you point me to the kitchen, I'll start warming up the food…you know, so uh, you can finish in here." Peeta followed where Finnick pointed and let himself into the kitchen to warm up a meal for the new parents.

* * *

Madge stood behind Katniss, whose head and shoulders were buried in a cabinet, she was disinfecting surfaces and rearranging cereal boxes. "Katniss, relax! It's going to be fine. I don't think the house can get any cleaner. Can we please go get some sandwiches now?"Madge pleaded after hours of constant cleaning. Despite scrubbing every visible surface, washing countless loads of laundry, and dusting for hours, Katniss felt that no amount of cleaning would prepare her for her families visit. They were set to arrive some time that evening and she had pushed Madge and Rue to clean until their nostrils were permanently burned with the smell of bleach.

The petite girl backed herself out the cabinet and came to a sitting position on her calves. She glared up at the blonde girl, "did you get behind the toilet?" Katniss regarded Madge skeptically.

"I cleaned in the toilet, around the toilet, beside the toilet, and even behind the toilet!" Madge was exhausted. She had agreed to help cleaning because they all shared the home and she had done her fair share to make it dirty, she regretted that decision now. "Are you planning on serving your family punch from the toilet? This incessant obsession with how clean the bathroom is has got to stop. Let's go pester Mr. Mellark for sandwiches." Between the growling and of her stomach and her friend's obsessive behavior, Madge really needed a break. "He never makes us pay and he always gives me extra pickles."

"Good idea, I wanted to pick up some bread and deserts for the cook out." Katniss stood and washed her hands. "Plus, I want to see how Peeta's visit to see the Odair's baby went." She dried her hands and slipped her sneakers on, "Where's Rue? Surely she would be up for some food."

Rue suddenly appeared at Madge's side, "did someone say free food?"

"I never said _free_ food. I said food." Katniss scowled at her two friends, "you two are going to eat the Mellark's out of business, I swear! Could you at least pretend that you were planning on paying?"

* * *

Mr. Mellark smiled warmly at Peeta when he walked through the back door of the bakery. "Katniss and the girls are here." He handed Peeta a platter with fresh cookies that were still warm from the oven, "See what they think about these, I know Katniss loves peanut butter so I threw together some peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips just for her."

"Thanks Dad!" Peeta took a cookie from the top, "These taste fantastic." Mr. Mellark watched with a smile on his face as Peeta chewed the cookie. "How was Finnick's family doing?"

"They were great and very appreciative of the food. I invited them to the cook out tomorrow so maybe they will bring the little guy so you can see him." Peeta clapped a hand to his father's back, "These cookies are fantastic, I better get them to the girls."

Peeta stood in the doorway that connected the back of the bakery to the front and silently admired Katniss as she interacted with her friends. The girls were laughing about something and Katniss was so caught up in her giggling fit that she didn't notice the blue eyes trained on her. Despite being together for almost a year, looking at Katniss still took Peeta's breath away. Most would consider her pretty, but Peeta found her absolutely stunning, and she was all his. He stepped forward and placed the tray of cookies in front of the girls before dropping a kiss to the crown of Katniss' head.

"Hey!" Katniss greeted him with a smile and reached out to gently squeeze his arm. "How was the baby?"

Peeta sat down beside Katniss and reached for some of the potato chips in her basket, "He is tiny, red, and sleeps all the time. He is also probably the cutest thing I've ever seen and I babysat him so Annie and Finnick could take a shower and eat."

"I can just see the headline now, 'Quarterback or Babysitter? The Many Faces of Peeta Mellark' I'm surprised that the media let that one slide. It would have been the perfect photo opportunity." Rue teased Peeta. With the success of the football team this season it seemed that with stars, like Peeta and her boyfriend Thresh, there seemed to be the flashbulb of a press camera following them everywhere.

Madge frowned, "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes it is. We can't go out to eat or do anything without someone snapping photos from a corner or approaching to ask Thresh questions. It's getting irritating." Rue rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff.

"Well you could just handle it like these two love birds," Madge motioned towards Peeta and Katniss with her eyes, "Simply lock yourselves away in a room and only eat at Mellark's."

Madge threw it out there as a suggestion, but Katniss' face immediately reddened at what she thought Madge had been insinuating. They did spend a lot of time holed up in her or Peeta's rooms, but they were not constantly naked as her roommate's assumed. _Okay_, she thought, they were naked a lot but still it was embarrassing to have Madge bring it up.

Peeta noticed how Katniss had tensed up and changed the subject, "So, my dad said he would bring the grill over tonight and set it up for the cook out tomorrow." The cook out was a point of nerves for him. It was set up so he could have a chance to meet the Everdeens in a setting where their meeting one another was not the entire purpose of the evening. Madge, Rue, Thresh, his parents, and a few others had been invited to the cook out so that the Everdeens could meet the people close to Katniss. "Oh, that reminds me, I invited Annie and Finnick."

"You did what?" Katniss face contorted into a look of shock and surprise.

Peeta started again slowly, "I invited Annie and Finnick." Katniss continued to glare at him. "What? They looked like they could use a break and I knew that there would be a lot of people around that would enjoy holding the baby and they could be around adults." A worried look crossed Katniss' face and it was obvious that she was giving serious thought to Peeta's invite to the Odair's.

"Oh, I absolutely adore babies!" Rue gushed.

"What's the problem with them coming Katniss?" Madge asked as Peeta sat looking stunned at his girlfriend.

"It…It's just." Katniss stutters and pauses to take a deep breath, "Well, they are so young and have the baby and they weren't married. My parents are kind of conservative and are afraid that me being with a football player is a bad influence, so why would I introduce them to a football player that knocked up his girlfriend."

Madge scowled at Katniss and chided, "Katniss! How dare you! Do you realize how close minded you sound? Surely, your parents aren't that way. Anyway, anyone who spends two seconds around Finnick and Annie know they are crazy in love and who's going to do the math when it comes to the little ones birth date?"

"I didn't realize it would be such a big deal. Sorry, babe." Peeta apologized and reached for Katniss' hand, "I'm sure it will be fine."

"I know you all are right. I'm just so worked up about everything I got a bit crazy." Katniss blew a stream of air from her mouth and made an exasperated noise, "Break time is over, time to finish up at the house."

Madge and Rue responded with a simultaneous groan.

* * *

The Everdeen's pulled into Knoxville very late that evening. They dropped by to see Katniss and let her know they had made it, but didn't stay long before heading to check into their hotel. The following morning they came over and Katniss treated them to fresh breakfast rolls iced with cream cheese frosting from Mellark's before she reluctantly left them to attend her morning lectures. It may have been Prim's fall break, but classes were still going on at the University of Tennessee. Mrs. Everdeen and Prim went shopping, while Mr. Everdeen searched the rooms for projects that he could complete for the girl's like fixing loose door handles and tightening cabinet doors.

When Katniss arrived home from class she found her dad standing in front of a framed picture of Peeta and her on the end table. She silently approached him, anticipating the moment his hunter senses noticed her presence. Katniss watched as he raised the frame from its location and carefully studied it. "Daddy?" she questioned.

"I still don't understand why you hid this from us." There was confusion and hurt laced in her father's voice and Katniss struggled to find the words to justify her actions.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Katniss stalled and tried to figure out the best way to explain why she kept it from them. It was hard to put into words why she hadn't let her parents know the depth of her relationship. "There wasn't anything sinister to hide; I guess I thought you would be mad because of Gale."

"Gale is like a son to me, but that doesn't mean you have to be with him to make me happy. If this blonde fellow makes you happier than Gale did then there is something to be said for that. Ultimately, I just want to see my baby girl happy." Katniss' father placed the framed photo back down and shook his head in amusement, "I still can't believe you're old enough to even be having this conversation."

"Dad, I don't know what to say to that. I'm sorry." Disappointing her father was the last thing that Katniss wanted to do. She felt a glimmer of hope though, because it didn't seem like Peeta was the problem it was her hiding Peeta that had been hurtful. "I just hope you give Peeta a chance." Katniss had to make sure she understood her father correctly.

Mr. Everdeen pulled Katniss close and hugged her to him. "Kiddo, I'm sure I'll like him. I just overreacted because it hurt to find out that way. I know it may seem silly, but your old man here wanted to be the first one to know. So, kiddo, I'm sorry too." He kissed the top of her head and gave her one more squeeze before releasing her. "Now, let's get started prepping food for all these guests tonight."

* * *

Mr. Everdeen and Mr. Mellark took to one another the moment that Katniss introduced them. They could be heard clinking their beer bottles and laughing boisterously in the corner or the yard as they worked the grill. Finnick and Thresh entertained everyone with an arm wrestling match, the girls complained about mid terms, and everyone showered the littlest Odair with attention. Peeta had spent a majority of the evening charming Mrs. Everdeen and indulging in all of Prim's questions about boys, sneaking glances at Katniss and winking at her from time to time.

"Peeta, come grab this plate so everyone can get started." Mr. Mellark motioned at Peeta from across the yard so he excused himself from Prim to get the platter of food.

When he approached the grill, his dad and Mr. Everdeen were deep in conversation so he turned and smiled at Katniss who was talking with Madge and Rue. He felt a hand on his back and turned to see his dad holding a platter of food, Peeta reached for the platter and his dad smiled and told him that he had it and walked away leaving Peeta and Katniss' father alone. He stood, for the first time at a loss for words, unsure of what was expected of him in this situation.

"I can tell by the way that she looks at you, Peeta, that you are very special to her." Mr. Everdeen broke the ice and motioned his head towards Katniss who was smiling in their direction.

Peeta did not hesitate to respond, "Sir, the feeling is mutual. I care deeply for your daughter." He intentionally made eye contact with Mr. Everdeen while he said this but had to shove his hands in his pockets to hide the tremble in them.

"That much is obvious, but to me what really sells it is the way she looks at you. I've seen boys smitten with her before, but I've never seen her quite so smitten back. Take care of her, Peeta," Mr. Everdeen grasps Peeta's hand in his while grasping his shoulder, "and if I ever hear that you aren't taking care of her, just know that I won't be happy."

Peeta shook Mr. Everdeen's hand with a grin on his face. "I understand, sir. Thank you."

"Go on now; you've got better things to be occupying your time with then cooking with this old guy." Mr. Everdeen smiled as he watched Peeta walk over to Katniss and tickle her sides before sitting down beside her, the happiness on both their faces evident.

* * *

The weekend passed quickly and before Katniss knew it she was kissing her family goodbye. She was surprised when Mr. Everdeen extended an invitation for Peeta to join them at Christmas. "Dad, that's prime bowl game time, but maybe he could come at Spring break and we could take him hunting. He's never been."

"I'd like that very much, sir. Thank you for the invitation." Peeta politely responded to Mr. Everdeen.

Mr. Everdeen pulled his face into an exaggerated frown and teased, "Peeta, next time you call me 'sir' I'm rescinding that invitation."

Katniss smiled as her dad teased Peeta. Mr. Everdeen joking with Peeta meant that he liked Peeta and she could not be happier. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to work out like how it was supposed to.

* * *

**A/N: A gigantic thank you to my new beta! Girl, you are fantastic and I am so appreciative for your help! **

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, I hope you enjoyed the latest fluff. You guys are awesome and the reviews are always so much kinder than I deserve!**


	17. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for two emails for one update and any resulting confusion. :)**

* * *

Time, as it inevitably seems to do passed quickly for Katniss and Peeta and their second year together quickly morphed into their third. Soon, they found themselves poised to celebrate another Valentine's Day as a couple. For them, the significance of the holiday had nothing to do with fine chocolate or beautiful flowers, it was a reminder of the day that Katniss fully allowed Peeta in. Yes, it was the day that they first attempted to make love, but it was more than that. Most importantly, it was the time that Katniss truly gave her heart to Peeta and trusted him to care for it.

The year between the Everdeen's visit to Knoxville and the present had settled the young couple into an unassuming comfort bred out of necessity to be close to one another and all encompassing adoration. Katniss flourished in her studies and retained an astounding grade point average, as well as managing to consistently take more courses than was dictated by the program. Peeta thrived on the football team and at the end of his junior season, his second complete season as starter, there was a faint Heisman buzz associated with the gentle quarterback's name.

Peeta struggled with his romantic tendencies; he wanted to plan a grand excursion for his and Katniss' unofficial anniversary, but he knew that she would prefer a quiet celebration. He mulled over several ideas with Finnick before deciding to forgo the extravagant dinner and hotel that he was leaning towards and rent a small cabin a ways out of Knoxville. He knew that Katniss would appreciate the time outdoors and that they would both love to get away from the busy hustle and bustle of campus life. He told Katniss nothing of his plans, instead telling her to pack warm, comfortable clothing and secure a weekend off from work. Peeta loaded the car with an ice chest full of food, wine, blankets and all the accompaniments necessary for an intimate romantic experience.

"Peeta!" Katniss breathlessly exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Peeta's neck in greeting before securing herself in the vehicle, "I have some exciting news to talk about on our way to wherever it is we are going."

Peeta smiled at her as he turned the key to start the vehicle, "Yeah? What's that?" He was glad for Katniss' apparent distraction from where they were headed, he had managed to keep their destination a secret and he planned on keeping it that way as long as he could.

"Well, as you know I've been working really hard on my honors thesis." Peeta nodded, he was acutely aware of how busy Katniss had been on her thesis. He rarely saw her in daylight hours because she was spending so much time in the lab. "My advisor and I have been in cahoots with several extension programs from other universities who are also conducting the same type of research and it's going really good. So good that it has pretty much guaranteed that I'll be able to get a paid research position when I graduate." Katniss' voice took on a high, almost shrill quality as she shrieked this last detail. She was beyond excited to have an opportunity like this, especially since it was something that was rare for someone who wasn't in a graduate program to receive.

Peeta couldn't help but smile in response to her atypical reaction. He was used to her being extremely angry or extremely aroused, but it was very rare that she got extremely excited. He loved seeing this side of her and made him realize the importance of this for Katniss. "They are talking about giving you a position, even though it's more than a year before we graduate? That's awesome, babe just fantastic." He reached over and gave her knee a tight squeeze, hoping to impart the happiness he felt for her.

Katniss smiled brightly, "It's not a year away, Peeta. I'll graduate in December…" she continued on about the possible extension offices she could get assigned to, but Peeta was still reeling from the news that she graduated in ten short months. "…what I'm most excited about though is the possibility that I could end up back in Oklahoma! Oklahoma State has several extension offices that specifically study strains of drought resistant crops that go along with my research. I can't imagine what it would be like to see my family anytime I wanted too!"

This information left Peeta speechless. He wasn't anywhere near graduating, didn't see the point in pushing it too hard seeing as he still had two years of eligibility because of his medical red shirt."Wait, what?" Peeta's heart hammered in his chest, Katniss was talking about leaving Tennessee. "You mean, when you graduate, you'll leave?" He knew that she would graduate before him, even if he didn't realize it would be this soon, he certainly had never considered that she wouldn't stay in Knoxville.

Katniss did not observe the obvious distress that Peeta was feeling from this information, "Of course. I need to go where the drought issues are the worst and that's the Midwest." She fought the urge to roll her eyes at Peeta, it was like he hadn't been listening to a word she had said. Katniss continued on explaining how the positions worked and the type of crops that she would most like to work with. Peeta remained silent as he drove them to the location he had worked so hard to keep secret, but didn't seem so important anymore.

* * *

"Here we are," Peeta stated as he maneuvered the car into the long dirt driveway. He pulled the car to a stop outside of an electronic gate and entered the numbers from a folder that the man leasing the cabin had sent him a week before.

Katniss' eyes widened at the expanse of wooded area surrounding the drive, "This is beautiful, Peeta." As the car pulled forward through the gate, Peeta followed the drive around to a small cabin nestled on top of a hill overlooking a pond. "We're staying here? Seriously? This is perfection, thank you!"

His worry over the fact that Katniss was eager about leaving Knoxville temporarily left Peeta as for the second time in a matter of hours he watched her face light with excitement. "You're so excited and you haven't even seen the inside of the cabin yet."

* * *

"You did the cooking, I've got the dishes." Katniss stood and wrapped her arms around Peeta as he began to fill the kitchen sink with soapy water. She had noticed that he was unusually quiet during dinner. He smiled, laughed, and inserted comments at the appropriate times, but the usual spark that danced in his expressive eyes was missing. She pulled her arms tightly around him and pushed a kiss to the back of his shirt, "I love you" she mumbled into the fabric as she clung to him.

Peeta turned in her arms until her head was plastered to his chest instead of his back. He squeezed her until it was hard for her to breathe and then slid his hand alongside her chin until it was nested in her hair, cupping her head. A content smile passed over her face and she leaned up towards him hoping to snag a kiss. Peeta tilted his head to meet her halfway and captured her lips in his. With this gentle kiss made Peeta now realized that he didn't have all the time in the world to love her, it also made him determined to spend the time that he did have doing it properly. He wasn't sure what the next ten months would bring, yet he was positive that he would spend them making sure that Katniss knew exactly where she stood with him.

Their kisses quickly ignited a carnal appetite deep within the pit of Katniss' stomach, one that can only sated by being with the man she loved so dearly. She broke the kiss and took a step backwards, maintaining eye contact with Peeta whose hand has fallen from her face. Katniss pulled her shirt up over her head and reached behind her to unfasten her bra, which quickly hit the floor. As she stepped back towards Peeta her hands found the hem of his shirt and hastily tugged up so that Peeta would finish removing it for her. They closed the distance between one another and wrapped their arms around the other one, both sighing as their bare flesh came into contact with the others. Their mouths met once more, in a tangle of lips, tongue and teeth and a mere prelude to the intimacy that they would soon share.

Peeta let out a grunt as he suddenly swept Katniss off of her feet and into his arms. He carried her bridal style into the bedroom and lay her onto the bed. The bed dipped as Peeta lowered himself down beside her and leaned down to kiss her. Katniss sat up quickly and reached for Peeta's fly, but was quickly thwarted as he easily swung his leg up and over her, effectively pinning her into place. He positioned himself with a knee on either side of her hipbones, bearing his weight on his heels so that she was held in place and ensuring that her petite frame is not crushed by his burden.

Her back arched up off the bed as Peeta softly traced the lines of her skin with the pads of his fingertips. He smiled as she came alive underneath his touch, writhing and twisting as he painted a thousand 'I love yous' onto her skin. The tempo of Katniss' breathing has increased and her pants filled the quiet room, speaking to her desperation and desire for Peeta to take his tender ministrations deeper. He abided her unspoken wishes and replaced his fingertips with his tongue, starting at her neck, taking his time to thoroughly work her into a frenzy of anticipation before he slipped down between her legs. With hands that had repeated the action innumerous times, Peeta glided her jeans and underwear from her body before leaning in to taste her.

There was nothing frantic or desperate about the way Peeta attended to Katniss. His fingers gently spread her, while is tongue worked up, down, and all around her. Her hips rolled up to meet his face as the delectable, almost painful sensation of a building orgasm encompassed her. Peeta realized the 'tells' that Katniss' body was giving. The way he could feel the muscles in her thighs tensing, almost buzzing underneath his hands and the fact that she had stopped making any recognizable sound, whimpering and mewling instead of moaning, all alluded to the fact she would shortly come undone from his attentions to her most sensitive place. And come undone, she did. She grasped at Peeta's hair, thighs clenched around his head, and back arched up off of the bed towards the ceiling, Katniss fell apart. Peeta inched up her body slightly and rested his head on her stomach until the tremors from her orgasm abated and her breathing evened.

"Come here." The secluded cabin was eerily quiet, yet Katniss whispered her desire for Peeta to join her at the top of the bed. Peeta lifted his head from her stomach and moved up to lay his head with hers on the pillow. They both laid on their sides, facing one another with their hands tucked under their heads; the only place they were touching was where their knees bumped up against one another. "I love you, Peeta." The whispering continued, she was unwilling to break the quiet reverie being in a place like this had created. His eyes lit up at her declaration, no matter how many times she said it, he would never tire of hearing those words.

"I love you too, Katniss." Peeta's words fell from his lips like a hushed prayer and she leaned in to kiss him, while she worked at undoing his jeans. Peeta was happy to rid himself of the jeans. He was hard and the pressure of the tight denim pushing back against him was becoming unbearable. Katniss moved to help him pull the jeans from his body and Peeta let loose a sigh of relief when they hit the floor.

Katniss crawled back onto the bed and took Peeta into her mouth, her mouth was warm and wet against him and he knew that he won't last long. He was more interested in making her come with him than how good her mouth felt against him. He slide backwards on the bed and pulled himself up so that his back was flush with the headboard; no words were spoken as Katniss understood his subtle hint and followed him to the head of the bed. She straddled his hips, reached for him and positioned him at her entrance. Katniss leaned forward and kissed Peeta deeply on the mouth, melding her lips with his as she fell onto him and melded their bodies as well.

Peeta's arms wrapped up and around Katniss as she rocked her hips back and forth, he peppered her neck with kisses and breathed in the scent of her hair. She began to lift herself and then push back down onto him, one of Peeta's hands balled into a fist in her hair while the other stayed tightly pressed against her back. As she rode him, Katniss used the headboard for traction and increased the tempo in which she is moving up and down off of him. Suddenly, Peeta's hands moved from their reverent position on her back and hair to still her hips. "Keep that up and I'm going to come without you."

Katniss stared directly into his eyes, "That's okay. I want to make you feel like you made me feel." She started to move on top of him once more. Instead of stopping her, Peeta applied pressure to her hips, causing her to slide back and forth against him as he slipped inside of her. The angle was still overwhelming for him and he knew that he wouldn't last long. Every time she caused him to withdraw from her, his shaft rubbed across the nerves at the top of where they were joined, that senstive spot that would make her dissolve quickly. They moved like this, his large hands on her hips, her smaller ones grasping the headboard behind them, her hips rolling against his lap pulling him in and then out of her until they both came undone. The silence was broken as they gasped one another's name into the dark room, filling the quiet with declarations of love.

Katniss fell asleep shortly after. She was stated. Her heart was thrumming with love for Peeta, her stomach full with a delicious meal, and things are falling in place for her future. She dozed on his bare chest, her hair draping over his shoulder and down his side. Peeta laid there breathing in her scent and reveling in her weight against his chest. He wanted to lose himself in moment and allow sleep to find him, but he couldn't. Instead he memorized all the tiny details that usually seemed so insignificant, because they suddenly became things he could not bear to be without. Eventually, he gingerly arranged Katniss on the pillow, her hair spread lightly around her head like a halo, and moved to gaze at the moon through the window. Katniss woke to Peeta looking out the window, he was naked and beautiful bathed in the silvery light of the moon. It was in this moment, while he was unaware that she was watching him that she realized how very distant he seemed. Being with Peeta for three years had taught her that there was a time and a place for every discussion, she knew what was weighing so heavily on Peeta's heart, but was hesitant to acknowledge it before she had time to think about it herself.

* * *

Finnick and Mr. Mellark were in the back of the bakery prepping for the next morning when Peeta found them. The small salary that Finnick received for helping with the football team was sufficient, but barely. During the off-season he worked beside Mr. Mellark at the bakery. He didn't have the knack for baking that Peeta did, he was more of a run the mixer and flirt with customer's kind of guy, but Mr. Mellark was pleased to have the extra set of hands and companionship that came from having Finnick around.

"Hey Dad, Finnick, how did things go today?" Peeta greeted his father and friend. He had come to speak with his father about Katniss and debated whether or not he should say anything in front of Finnick. The bronze haired ex quarterback had been giving Peeta fits about Katniss before he even knew her name.

Mr. Mellark's hands were crusted in flour, but he still walked over to Peeta and gave him a one armed squeeze. "Busy son, very busy. I think having handsome here run the front till has definitely increased our number of returning female customers."

"What can I say, the ladies love me." Finnick's grin was sheepish, hinting that the flirting was all in fun. It was completely obvious he was head over heels for his wife. Peeta frowned, not deeply enough to induce a wrinkle in his forehead, but long enough that both his father and friend noticed. "Did someone's anniversary surprise not go over as well as planned?" Finnick dropped the suave act and suddenly became the friend and caring guy that Peeta knew was underneath the act.

Peeta walked to the sink and washed his hands. "No, it's not that. We had a great time." He scrubbed his hands deftly as he explained the wonderful weekend he had just enjoyed with Katniss. "Just spent the weekend eating, sitting on the front porch to watch the changing horizon, and spent…"

"Horizon, my ass!" Finnick scoffed loudly. "More like helping sweet little Katniss memorize what the ceiling tiles looked like."

Mr. Mellark's cheeks colored at what Finnick's words were insinuating, he had a pretty good idea what Peeta and Katniss did when they were alone. The two kids had it so deep for one another, he would be thinking unrealistically if he thought that they hadn't been intimate. "Okay, that's enough." He huffed. Just because he assumed he knew what happened between his son and the girl with the braid didn't mean he had to know the details.

"Thanks, Dad." Peeta started folding flour and butter into a mixer, his shoulders hunched and eyes trained on the task in front of him.

Finnick took in Peeta's defeated posture, "Spill it. I was just giving you shit because it's so easy, but it is pretty obvious something is eating your lunch."

"Katniss graduates in December." The words tumbled from Peeta's lips as he continued working with the giant mixer. "She's planning on leaving to get a job, but she didn't even seem to realize what that meant for us. Either she is clueless or she plans on dumping me."

Mr. Mellark was the first to speak, "What makes you think that son? I mean that she would dump you or that she is clueless as to what this means."

"Katniss can be a little short sighted when it comes to including others or understanding how others are affected by her. She has gotten better since we first got together, but it's still one of her less endearing qualities."

Finnick had assumed a sitting position on the stool, abandoning any pretense of working and choosing to snack on day old cookies instead. "Well, why didn't you just ask her? You could have saved yourself a lot of trouble. Not to mention, she's crazy to leave here. I heard your name on ESPN the other day when they were talking Heisman watch scenarios. Yeah, it's a long shot considering who you have to throw to this year, but just having your name in the buzz is going to make you popular with agents when push comes to shove." He bit into a cookie and crunched on it before swallowing, "Besides, I'm sure Katniss would rather play house wife to a NFL player than get a job."

"That's the last thing I want." Peeta's words came out harsh and both his father and Finnick looked at him with mouths gaping. "I mean, yes, oh god yes would I love for Katniss to stay here and thinking of her being my wife makes me really happy. What I don't want is her giving up anything to be with me. She has worked hard, is graduating early, and is too smart to sacrifice anything to be with me."

Finnick jumped from the stool, "I would give anything to have your talent man, and you don't need to be making any sacrifices to be with her either. She isn't the only one who deserves what she has been working for."

"Peeta, you just need to talk to her. You are right, and Finnick is right too. Both of you have goals and have worked to reach them, surely, if it's meant to be you can figure a way to make it work." Mr. Mellark's voice was one of reason that Peeta needed to hear in this difficult time.

* * *

**A/N: A special thanks to the lovely and wonderful liljennmartin for beta'ing this chapter and helping make sense of my rambling! You are such an asset to me, thank you! Also, thank you guys for reading and reviewing! Only a few chapters left!**

***Find me on AO3 and tumblr with the name kismet4891, I will be cross posting this story***


	18. Chapter 16: The end!

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own The Hunger Games or the characters.**

* * *

Katniss stared at the letter in her hands. She was overwhelmed with many conflicting emotions about the contents of the letter. Happiness, sadness, confusion, and excitement washed over her in alternating waves. The last time she held a letter like this in her hands it had ultimately meant the end of her relationship and unfortunately her friendship with Gale.

She also recalled that it had meant a new exciting beginning, which eventually led to her meeting the gentle natured quarterback who had completely changed the way she felt about relationships. The offer was better than she had originally hoped for. A position at a research station less than an hour from her parent's home, complete with stipend, living arrangements, and potential for graduate credit hours at the state university that ran the station. Everything that she had been working towards the last three years was now realized, yet she didn't know what to feel.

She tucked the letter away, it was the beginning of the summer and they didn't expect a reply until August. For now, she just wanted to spend every spare moment with Peeta, because she didn't realize what the future held for them and it was too painful to consider at length. Katniss didn't intend to hide it from Peeta, she just didn't want a repeat of what had happened between her and Gale. The minute she showed him her acceptance letter from the University of Tennessee, he had been different and they wasted the last weeks that they had together in an awkward, trying dance. As bad as it had been with Gale, Katniss could not imagine leaving Peeta in the same limbo that she had her childhood best friend. She wanted to spend time with him without the weight of her eventual departure hovering over them.

Peeta and Katniss had skirted fully discussing the issue of her possibly leaving. It was the best and worst decision that they could have made. He had tried to talk to her about it soon after their anniversary trip, but she had deflected the conversation by telling him that whatever happened they would remain together and eventually the rest would fall into place. Her words had pacified him at the time. It didn't stop him from holding her a little tighter, exhausting himself to make sure he saw her every day, and sleeping beside her almost every night. Without a doubt, he knew that Katniss was it for him; there would never be another who he would love the way that he loved her. She deserved everything that she had worked so hard for and much more. He would not deter her from her dreams, but he would make sure that she knew how absolutely she was loved by him.

After a grueling practice in the hot sun, Peeta joined Katniss and Madge for dinner at their home. They still lived in the house and shared rent with Rue, who was often not there, off visiting Thresh who had found his way onto an NFL defensive line after he left Tennessee. Rue now wore a petite diamond solitaire on her finger, purchased before Thresh's first fat check hit the bank and refused to let him replace it with something more befitting her status as a pro's fiancé.

Unbeknownst to Katniss, Peeta had been considering the same thing that Thresh had done. Proposing to Katniss now would seem hasty and they were still so young, but he needed something to tie them together, a tangible sign that they would make it through whatever the future held. The idea of talking to Mr. Everdeen was the only thing stopping Peeta from purchasing a diamond.

He joined the ladies in the kitchen where they were fawning over Prim's senior pictures. Peeta leaned down and placed a kiss on Katniss' cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder, scoping out the spread of photos on the laptop in front of her, "She looks so grown up. Make sure they send one for my dad too, he loves having Prim around."

"She does, doesn't she? I feel like I've missed so much being here." Katniss bit her tongue, she wanted to add that one thing that she would like about being back in Oklahoma would be that she wouldn't have to miss the last half of Prim's senior year, she didn't though, Peeta still didn't know about the letter.

Katniss' words hit Peeta hard; he heard the unspoken implication of what Katniss was unintentionally putting out there. If she went back to Oklahoma she wouldn't have to miss anymore of Prim's life. "So, what do you ladies want for dinner?" Peeta hoped his voice didn't betray him; it was easier to change the subject completely then to continue on the track where the conversation was headed.

* * *

A month had passed since Katniss received her offer letter and she still wasn't sure how to bring it up to Peeta. She had been talking to the advisor who would be her supervisor, the position was hers and she had all but accepted it, all that she had to do was sign the contract. Well, and tell Peeta. She had held onto the information long enough that it seemed like she was hiding something from him, Katniss was not looking forward to the conversation that they would be having soon. She held her gaze in the mirror as she finished her nightly ritual of washing her face and brushing her teeth and promised that before they turned off the lights she would tell him.

Peeta was sitting in bed with his back against the wall that doubled as Katniss' headboard. His eyes were focused on his phone in his hands in front of him, the bright lights of the game he was entranced in reflecting colorfully off the lenses of the glasses he wore, contacts already removed for the night.

Katniss smiled to herself, enjoying the view, Peeta was already shirtless, having stripped down to his boxer shorts, ankles crossed relaxing on her bed. She stood at the end of the bed staring at him; he was too focused on the game he was playing to notice as she crawled up the end of the bed towards him. When her fingers found the waistband of his boxers and tugged them down he looked at her, awe present on his face. Even after all this time, the fact that she still wanted him blew him away. Katniss took him into her mouth, working her tongue around him, inciting a groan from him as he hardened between her lips.

He reached for her, trying to pull her to him, "Come here!" Peeta panted heavily, the remnants of the cool minty mouthwash on Katniss' tongue stimulated his hardness in an entirely new way, making him more sensitive. Tiny shivers of bliss moved up his spine from where her icy tongue touched his skin. He wanted her to feel as good as he did, he tugged on her shoulders once more.

Katniss resisted Peeta's attempts at getting her to join him at the top of the bed; instead she took to teasing him with the tip of her tongue. One hand held his erect member in place, while the other tugged and caressed at his balls, she ran her tongue up, down and all over the noticeable veins of his most delicate skin. Her hand softly stroked his shaft while she licked, swirled and moved her tongue all around the head.

Peeta's hand fisted her hair, fighting the urge to thrust up at her face. When Katniss finally took him into her mouth, sucking lightly, he pushed back gently, setting the rhythm he needed to find completion. She matched his rhythm with a steady bob of her head, withdrawing her mouth from him just enough to attend to him with steady pumps from her hand before plunging her mouth back down again, sheathing him completely. It didn't take long before Peeta was moaning her name, roughly grasping the tender strands of her hair, and spilling into her mouth.

Katniss slid his boxers back up his legs before crawling up to lay her head on his chest, "I'm going to miss being able to do that any time I want." She spoke against his bare chest before wrapping her arms around him in a tight squeeze.

Stuck in a post orgasmic bliss, it took a while for the words to sink in, but when they did it was as if a ton of bricks slammed in Peeta's chest and took up residence there."What?" He stammered out as he pushed himself to a sitting position, forcing Katniss to raise her head from his chest.

"I'm moving back to Oklahoma when I graduate, I got a wonderful offer, one I couldn't refuse." Katniss knew they had a difficult discussion coming, she only hoped that he wouldn't cry- an angry Peeta was much preferable to an upset one.

"And, this is how you decide to tell me? Blow me and then casually bring up that you are going to miss being able to do it, nice fucking timing Katniss, _shit_."

The anger Katniss could handle, it was the raw pain that she heard in Peeta's voice that broke her heart. "Peeta it isn't like that, don't be mad."

"How long have you known?" he took in the look of her face, the way she was avoiding his eyes, it was worse than he thought, "Just answer me, how long?"

"A month."

Peeta tore at the ends of his hair, anger coursing through him, he looked at Katniss who had taken to picking at her fingernails, "Really, an entire month?" He stood up and started to put his t-shirt on.

"Where are you going?" Katniss asked, bewildered as she watched him hastily dress. "Don't leave. I don't want you to go."

"I'm just going to go sit on the front porch for awhile, take in some air, and process this whole thing." Peeta squeezed her shoulder as he walked past, "Go ahead and go to sleep, I'll be in after awhile."

* * *

A week before Katniss was supposed to move back to Oklahoma, Peeta showed up on her doorstep acting nervous, shifting back and forth, and he asked her to join him on the front porch. She agreed but was taken aback by his demeanor, gone was her self-assured boyfriend; he had been replaced by an antsy mess of a man. It was concerning, it became even more troubling when he kneeled before her with a ring box in his hand and asked for her to marry him.

She didn't know how to respond, the first words from her mouth were the ones most prominent in her mind, "Why are you doing this?" Katniss reached down to pull on his shoulders trying to get him to stand.

Peeta's face fell, his eyes widened and threatened to fill with tears, her rejection stung and the hurt coursed through his body, he hadn't anticipated this reaction "Isn't that obvious? I love you and I want to marry you."

"No, Peeta. Why are you doing this now? I leave in a week. Do you not want me to go?"

"I just, I mean, I know your leaving, but this is a promise that we will be together and married someday."

"It doesn't feel that way. It feels like a guilt trip. I'm sorry I love you and eventually that may be what I want, but I can't wear your ring now."

"What are you saying, Katniss?" Peeta found it increasingly more difficult to draw air into his lungs, he couldn't focus on the words coming out of her mouth, he couldn't focus on breathing, he couldn't focus on anything except the sinking in his stomach and tightening in his heart.

He had to get out of her presence, he couldn't do this.

"Exactly what I just said, I can't wear your ring now."

All Peeta heard was the she couldn't wear his ring and that was enough for him. He knew it would come to this, he felt stupid for even putting it out there, he had been the one holding their relationship together, falling in love, coming to depend on her, when it was obvious to him that she had just been biding time with him until she could go back to Oklahoma. He stood to head for the steps, not knowing exactly what to do with the ring box in his hands, but knowing that he needed to get out of there before he fell apart.

"Peeta, don't go. Let's talk about this." He was already half way to his car.

Peeta didn't even turn to look at her as he spoke, "There's nothing left to talk about, Katniss. It is what it is."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Her voice cracked on the words, he couldn't do this to her, _could he?_ The proposal put her in a corner, it seemed like Peeta was making her commit to marriage or walking away from her. It wasn't fair, she loved him, she wasn't done, she just didn't want a desperate proposal borne out of fear. Peeta didn't answer, instead folded his large frame into the front seat of his car and with tears slipping from the corners of his eyes drove away.

* * *

Katniss wrung her hands, squeezing the knuckles and grasping at her palms so tightly that her fingers turned white from lack of blood flow. She hadn't seen Peeta in five days and in the morning her family would arrive to watch her graduate and move her home. She wasn't sure what was worse, having Peeta walk away from her or the sadness in her family's voices when she had talked to them a few days back.

Katniss didn't realize it until she had spoken with her father, but Peeta had done the old fashioned thing and called to ask her father's permission to propose. If it were up to Katniss she would have preferred no one know about the proposal. They did though and she was pretty sure that along with Peeta, Prim wasn't talking to her either.

Katniss and Peeta had exchanged a few short, tense text messages. She knew that he was hurting and she should probably give him space, but she was hurting too and _she was leaving_. She didn't know where she stood with him and she needed to know that everything was going to be okay. It had to be okay, he promised her long ago that he would always be there for her and that is why his avoidance of her hurt so much. She may be moving, but he was the one making the choice to abandon her.

When Peeta opened the door it was as if he had been anticipating her arrival, in many ways he had been, he had just assumed that she would have shown up a lot sooner than forty eight hours before she was supposed to leave. Her blatant ambivalence to him was just another perceived grievance to add to his list of reasons why getting over Katniss Everdeen should be easy, _should _being the operative word. What he didn't expect was for the girl to rush to him and wrap her arms around him tightly. Peeta's arms hung limply at his sides, unable to embrace her, offer her comfort when he was the one whose heart has been shattered.

"Why are you here?" He breathed in her hair; eyes closed memorizing the scent even when his voice belied discomfort.

Katniss backed away from him, her eyes narrowed into a scowl, "Have you been drinking? Peeta, the bowl game is just weeks away."

"Thanks Odair," The sardonic pop of Peeta's voice startled her; she had never seen Peeta behave this way. "I appreciate the coaching." His words weren't slurred, but Katniss could smell the alcohol on him, "did you come to kick me while I'm down, maybe laugh at me a bit?" Peeta was buzzed, but not wasted and he was being a complete asshole.

"Of course not, Peeta." Her heart twisted at his words, she couldn't believe that his opinion of her feelings for him was so low, "I love you. I came to talk."

"Sure. Let's talk." He turned his back to her and walked further into the apartment and began verbally attacking her, "You say you love me, but you hide the fact you are graduating and plan on leaving me. I get down on my knee, _like a fucking loser_, and you get mad at me. I love you so goddamn much it hurts to be around you, and you are an emotional midget incapable of caring about anyone, but yourself." By the time he turned around he was greeted with the sight of Katniss standing, hands over her mouth, tears streaming in thick lines down her cheeks, he took no pleasure from her pain.

She wanted to scream at him that he was wrong. She wanted to pound her fists against his chest and make him understand that the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. But, he was drunk, mean, and startlingly cold, definitely not the man she loved. Whatever words she had to offer him would mean little; it would take an act of desperation to break through the walls of ice he had erected around his tender heart. Tears streaking her face, Katniss crossed the room to Peeta and pulled him aggressively to her. Her mouth sought his and despite a pitiful attempt at separating himself from her Peeta responded in kind. The kissing evolved into something completely different than what Katniss had intended, it became a means of channeling the fear, rage, and regret the pair were feeling.

Peeta's hand wound in the hair at the base of her neck and he forcefully pulled the wisps of hair there, her head jerked back and he attacked the fragile skin exposed. Gone was the Peeta that Katniss was used to, he was replaced by a man on a mission, his teeth and lips worked in tandem covering every inch of her skin, claiming her in the process.

Her hair still tightly fisted in his hand, he licked from the top of her collarbone all the way to the tip of her chin. Katniss shuddered and moaned, his tongue on her skin felt undeniably good, and as he hoisted her onto the kitchen table her hands reached out for him, nails digging in to the flesh of his neck pulling him closer. She wanted to burn this moment into her memory, hold it close to her heart and take it with her back home. It seemed as though Peeta felt the same way, he wanted Katniss to remember him and his actions became almost forceful as he pulled his attention from her neck and tore her jeans and underwear from her body.

Peeta seemed so close, but so far away as he struggled with the fasten on his jeans and Katniss whimpered his name as she reached for him. With his pants and boxers at his ankles, Peeta positioned himself between her legs and realized that she wasn't quite ready for him.

He raised his fingers to his mouth, wetting them before he lowered them back down to her, using them to massage tight circles before dipping his finger into her to check for the abundance of slick arousal he was used to. Everything leading up to this had been hurried and insistent, but this was far from that. Peeta slowly worked his finger in and out of her, spreading her wetness and stretching her. No matter how angry he was with her, he could not deny her this.

He worked her over with his fingers, teasing her, drawing pleasure from her until the memory of the ill fated proposal flooded back into his mind. His eyes stung and he feared he would start crying, he channeled the rage he had felt earlier.

Her back was flat against the wooden table top, eyes closed enjoying Peeta's languid attentions to her so she was not expecting the moment when he removed his finger and plunged into her so hard it took her breath away.

His large hands gripped her thighs tightly, spreading them and holding them into place. The sound of Peeta's hips slapping against Katniss' spread thighs filled the room, accompanied only by the pair moaning in unison. His thrusts were rough enough that they were pushing her up the table, he pinned her in place in response, his fingers dug into her deep enough there would be a faint purpling left on her skin.

This was fucking, and it felt like everything and nothing, it felt like pleasure and it felt like pain, but most of all it felt like goodbye.

Impossibly, Peeta sped the already frantic pace he was pursuing, climbing closer and closer to release, and closer to forgetting, losing himself deep inside Katniss. He grunted with exertion and her hands frantically pushed herself up to a sitting position, no easy task given the fact his movements were pushing her back into the table, but she was eager to be face-to-face with him. Their hurried coupling felt good for her, but there was no significant build, no chance of true completion from the pace Peeta was maintaining. Her need to lock eyes with him and watch him fall apart was tantamount with his need to forget the ache in his heart and emptiness in his soul.

When their eyes met, crazed, hungry, and so unlike their normal selves, Katniss pressed a tight kiss to Peeta's mouth, the intimacy of the kiss paired with his vigorous thrusting pushed him completely over the edge. He withdrew from her and fell to his knees in front of her. Peeta laid his forehead against her exposed thigh and wrapped his arms around her waist, tears freely falling from his face now.

He wasn't sure what had come over him, he feared he had sullied her memory of him with his roughness. Tears fell freely from his eyes as Katniss wrapped her arms around his head, stroking his wheat colored locks. The water falling from Peeta's eyes mingled with the remnants of her arousal and his finish, so that when he leaned in to taste her, take her to a place of ecstasy one last time, he was overwhelmed with the salty taste of what sorrow felt like.

Peeta made up for the rough way in which he had taken her on the kitchen table with his tongue and before long Katniss was reduced to a jumbled mass of nerves, trembling, with tears falling from her eyes. He lay with his head on her thigh until the last of the shuddering passed through her body before rising and reaching for her clothing.

Katniss knew what was coming, but she didn't want to believe it. He loved her, didn't he? He promised not to give up on them, _but he was_. "What do you call that?" She was desperate and she knew it, unwilling to acknowledge the cold manner Peeta had assumed as he pounded into her on the unrelenting wooden table.

He turned his back to her as he pulled his pants back up, taking his time to answer her, pushing back the tears and shame flooding his cheeks. He cleared his throat and mind, ensured that his face registered the appropriate amount of disappointment before he turned to face her. He threw her pants and underwear in her direction, "I call that goodbye, nothing more, nothing less sweetheart."

* * *

Peeta was humiliated at the way he had treated Katniss when she came to say goodbye. So much so that he was having trouble concentrating on anything other than those last few hours he was with her. She would never forgive him and he truly believed he didn't deserve it. Katniss deserved so much more than him and what he could offer. He wasn't brave enough to actually call or text her, the rejection was so much more personal and he didn't know if he would survive it. Instead he flooded the inbox of her email with apologies, pleading his case, promising to make it up to her. He would be on the next flight to Oklahoma City if she would have him, all she had to do was reply and tell him yes. He would throw away it all to have another chance with her.

But, he never heard from her. Eventually he gave up trying and became resigned to the fact that he had fucked their relationship with angry sex and a misguided proposal. He hoped she was happy in Oklahoma; he really did because he wasn't happy in Tennessee.

Peeta poured himself into football, dedicating all of his spare time to training and becoming the best quarterback he could be. Heisman buzz followed his name and he soon found himself being mentioned as a possible contender for the most prestigious award college football had to offer. It all seemed empty without a certain braided brunette by his side.

* * *

She'd been in this position before, _hadn't she_? Forgoing possibly humiliation and entering Mellark bakery looking for Peeta. This time was different though, this time she had to face Mr. Mellark, and _God forbid_ Mrs. Mellark, after the pain that she had incurred on Peeta. This seemed like a tremendous task.

Katniss pushed through the door, pausing momentarily to listen to the delicate tinkling of bells signifying her entry. For a moment, the blonde head bent over the counter took her breath away that was until she realized it wasn't Peeta, but one of his brothers. She stood in her spot, unsure of what to do or why she even came.

"As I live and breathe, is that Katniss Everdeen? It has been too long, come here!" Mr. Mellark's voice boomed from the back of the bakery. This was not the reception she was anticipating and as Mr. Mellark pulled her into a tight hug, Katniss found herself fighting tears.

Katniss returned the hug with equal vigor, she had missed the affable older man more than she realized, "It's good to see you too!"

"Looks like I've got a bone to pick with my youngest, how dare he not tell me my favorite girl was coming to visit?" The smile on Mr. Mellark's face was so genuine that Katniss actually believed what he was saying, she wasn't sure what she had done to deserve the man's approval, but it was obvious he cared deeply for her. "Come have some cookies in the office with me, that is of course unless you are headed somewhere."

Katniss ducked her head bashfully, "Cookies sound wonderful, sir. The cookies at home can't compare to what the Mellark's make."

"Of course they don't! Now I don't have any of those peanut butter chocolate chip ones you like so much, but I could whip some up real quick if you'd like. It's not every day I get to see you."

Katniss couldn't help but wonder why Mr. Mellark still liked her after what she had put Peeta through, she stared at her feet, "These are great. Really, thank you so much. Any chance you know where Peeta might be? I stopped by his house and drove by the practice field and it looked empty."

Something unknown to Katniss, something that could only be described as excitement flickered in Mr. Mellark's eyes, "He's helping his friend Delly pack."

"Oh, well okay." Katniss' heart dropped into her tennis shoes, Delly wasn't just Peeta's friend, she was his ex girlfriend and daughter of Mrs. Mellark's best friend.

Mr. Mellark noticed the change in the quiet girl's demeanor at the mention of Delly, "Does he know that you are visiting dear?"

"I'm not visiting, I'm here to stay. My contract was for a six month term and then I was supposed to sign another, but I didn't." The words stuck in her throat. It seemed like such a good idea at the time, she had just assumed that Peeta would welcome her back with open arms, now she was beginning to question that decision. Her job wasn't all that she thought it would be, but most of all she felt empty and uninspired without a certain towheaded, blue eyed man by her side.

"I, uh, just…something was missing there." Katniss admitted with her eyes trained on her lap, she missed the smile that lit Mr. Mellark's face.

"Welcome back, dear, welcome back."

After a plate of cookies, Katniss left Mellark's bakery. She wouldn't seek out Peeta, even though it had been her original plan, it now seemed foolish. She would be staying on Madge's couch until she found a place to stay and she told Mr. Mellark as much. If Peeta wanted to see her, then he would know where to find her.

* * *

An entire month passed before Peeta gathered enough courage to seek her out, she hadn't answered any of his emails, but there had to be a reason she returned to Knoxville. There were plenty of other graduate programs out there, it felt foolishly optimistic yet he hoped that he was the reason that she had returned.

Madge opened the door, "Took you long enough, didn't it?" She quirked an eyebrow in Peeta's direction. He stood there stunned, speechless staring at Madge helpless as to what to say before she pulled him into a hug, and whispered in his ear, "You're here now and that's all that matters." With a reassuring squeeze to his elbow she stepped into the house, grabbed her purse and hollered, "Everdeen, I'm headed to the supermarket. Text me if you think of anything we need."

Peeta stepped into the house as he wiped his sweating hands on his t-shirt, he was unsure how to proceed, convinced nothing he could say would make up for his actions months ago. He inhaled deeply and the air seemed to stick in his throat as Katniss appeared in the doorway, she looked gorgeous, stunning and like everything he didn't deserve to have.

"You're here." She squeaked, her voice an entire octave higher than it usually was. Peeta was the last person she expected to see standing in Madge's living room. He looked bulkier, the pictures she had seen on ESPN hadn't done him justice, he was more handsome than she remembered.

He repeated her words, "You're here." His voice cracking on the word 'here.'

They stood staring at one another, not sure how to proceed when Katniss asked the question that had been plaguing her for a month, "Are you with Delly again?"

Peeta laughed, he actually laughed and the sound was like music to her ears, she hadn't realized how much she had missed that laugh, "Christ no! My mom just made me help her move, she got pregnant and engaged and moved to Kentucky."

She started laughing too, his chortle was too infectious to not join in, "It's just you were with her when I came by the bakery to find you. I'm sorry!"

The laughter died between them, a pained look replacing the mirth on Peeta's face, "Katniss, I'm sorry for what I did to you. I understand why you didn't respond to the emails. I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"What emails?"

"The ones I sent right after you left apologizing for that night before your graduation." Peeta's eyes were trained on a spot on the rug; he couldn't bear to look into her eyes as he reminded her of the brutish way he had taken her on the kitchen table.

Katniss gasped. "You tried to reach me? You didn't just forget about me?" The shock rolled over her; she thought that she had damaged Peeta so much he had been unwilling to talk to her. "Did you send them to my UT email? Because they cancel that six weeks after graduation and I didn't subscribe a forwarding email because I didn't think anyone would use that one." She sat down on the couch trying to process everything, she realized now she should have called him every time she had wanted to.

Peeta joined her, "You weren't ignoring me? Oh God, all this time I thought…"

His words trailed off as Katniss pressed her lips to his, electricity shot through her limbs, she pulled back and rested her forehead against Peeta's, "It doesn't matter what you thought, just know I came back for you."

* * *

_The day that they were wed, the sky mirrored the same brilliant blue of the groom's eyes, the surrounding meadow was the bride's favorite color, lush, green and dotted with colorful wildflowers. _

_The crowd was small, the moment intimate, and the rings were carried by one small, copper headed child. _

_The union was blessed by both families and wishes of love and longevity were given._

_He was retained by an NFL team only to barely make the practice squad and spent a season bruised and sore, the decision not to return was easy._

_The season was not a waste because time on the practice team still paid well and they had just enough for a start up fund for a bakery._

_When football didn't pan out, they moved to a university town in north central Oklahoma, merely hours from her parents, she continued her studies and eventually earned a Ph.D. and tenure. _

_He bakes and coaches their daughter's soccer team and their son's Pee Wee football squad._

_She teaches and smiles frequently from the sidelines, encouraging the kids to take up archery instead of team sports._

* * *

**A/N: There it is! I want to thank you guys for all of the kind comments, follows, and messages. This has been a crazy ride and the only reason I stuck with it was encouragement from you guys! Thank you so much!**

**A big thank you to liljennmartin for sticking this out with me and her beta skills! I owe you big time for all the time you put into talking through things and working out kinks with me! You are the best!**

**Also, I'd like to thank WickedlyClever for supporting me and assisting the entire duration of the story, and Wildharp and RainyDaysAnyways for their specific, and needed guidance on this final chapter.**

**I would appreciate hearing how you felt about the last chapter, even if you didn't like it. And, if you are interested in reading more of my Everlark fics you can check out my author profile here, OR find me on tumblr or AO3 with the same username, kismet4891. Thanks again!**


	19. Outtake written for Dirty December

**There is a very fun little writing challenge right now on tumblr, called 'Dirty December'. I recommend heading over there and checking all the stories out. Here is my submission for week three, I posted it here because I borrowed the _Evolution_ universe and thought that if there was anyone still following the story you guys might enjoy this! Please note that the subject matter is extremely mature.**

* * *

Peeta wasn't sure what compelled him to send Katniss the package he did. It may have been the things she mentioned in their phone conversations, or how sometimes she wouldn't text him right back or pick up her phone (only to call him immediately). The times that this happened were always late at night and he knew that she was most likely home, by herself. She liked to do her reading for classes the following day right before going to sleep. Peeta had a sneaking suspicion she was touching herself and if this was the case he wasn't sure why she didn't just tell him. He missed her incredibly, and most nights he was too beat up to even consider the physical exertion of jerking off. He thought about it though, often, what Katniss did to herself without him there.

Training camp was terrible. He couldn't believe he hadn't been cut yet. It was clear that he was really just there for the other, bigger, more talented athletes to take out their frustration on in practice. Slowly the number of guys he came in with began to dwindle. His agent, some asshole by the name of Abernathy, assured him that this was a good thing, but really it just left Peeta wondering if he was cut out to play at this level.

Thoughts of Katniss and making a life together kept him sane. Peeta missed her like crazy and really wanted to send her something that would ensure that she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her. He knew what he wanted to send her and that she didn't have one already, but going to a store to purchase a toy for his girlfriend was out of the question. The thought alone was just entirely too embarrassing for Peeta. He spent hours internet shopping and conducting mortifying Google searches, and in the end he was pretty proud of the purchase he had made.

* * *

"You've got a package." Madge greeted Katniss as she walked in the front door. "I sat it on the kitchen counter."

Katniss walked into the kitchen and was greeted by a plain brown box. It wasn't very big and lacked a return address. The only people who ever sent her packages were Prim and Peeta, but this was out of sorts for either of them. "I wonder who this is from?" Her question was posed loudly, hoping to get some feedback from her roommate.

Soon, Madge joined her in the kitchen with a pair of scissors. "Let's find out."

As soon as the box was open, Katniss immediately regretted drawing Madge's attention. Nestled in between packing paper and a receipt was a sleek, black vibrator with a curved end. Her eyes widened and she immediately tried to close the box before Madge glimpsed the goods inside. _I'm going to kill Peeta._ Color immediately flooded her cheeks, mortified at what her roommate had seen.

"Oh, that's a nice one!" Madge reached for the box, "Perfect for hitting the g-spot. You were holding out on me Everdeen, I had no clue you and Peeta were into toys."

"Madge!" Katniss blushed, her cheeks hot with embarrassment, "We are not into toys, for fuck's sake! I have no clue why Peeta would send this…once I figure out where it came from I'm sending it right back."

Madge rolled her eyes and turned the box over checking for battery specifications, "I don't even buy the prude act anymore, Katniss. Keep it, use it, love it. There are batteries in the drawer that will fit."

Katniss grabbed the box and shoved it back in the packing one, as she stalked off acting completely infuriated, when in reality she was actually very curious as to how the vibrator worked.

* * *

The weeks had passed slowly, and eventually the day came when there were no longer slips being left in lockers, and Peeta had officially earned a spot on the practice squad. He wouldn't soon be playing actual games in the NFL, but the pay-off was nice- better than he could have hoped for really. He anticipated the day he could leave football completely behind him, make a nice life for he and Katniss, and this was a good means to getting there sooner, rather than later. It was still pretty early when his dad and Katniss picked him up at the airport, and he wished his dad stayed at home, because he really wanted Katniss naked as soon as possible.

He got his chance soon enough, Mr. Mellark had to get back to the bakery so it wasn't long before Peeta and Katniss were undressing each other hurriedly in Katniss's bedroom. "I missed you so much." he breathed against the skin of her neck as his tongue traced circles around the crease of her clavicle.

Katniss moaned lightly, her fingernails digging into the flesh of Peeta's side tracing the hard lines of muscle there, "Is that why you sent that ridiculous package?"

He pulled back from her neck, looking her in the eyes, "Are you trying to tell me you didn't like your present?" Peeta noticed the way Katniss diverted her eyes from his while biting her lip slightly. He realized that she had used it, and according to the blush on her cheeks, she had liked it quite a bit. "Where's it at, show me?"

"Peeta," Katniss demurred, unsure if he just wanted to see the vibrator, or see her use it. They had been having sex for so long it shocked her that a request like this could make her nervous, but it did.

After a few times of using the vibrator she had finally gotten brave enough to use it like the instructions directed, so she inserted it. The resulting orgasm had left her seeing black spots for minutes afterwards, but it came with an unfortunate side effect- a large gush of fluid that left such a gigantic wet spot on her sheets that Katniss was afraid she had peed herself from being so relaxed. It hadn't stopped her from trying again though, as the thought of the mind numbing orgasm was enough to make her thighs clench. By the time that Peeta had returned home she was well practiced with the vibrator.

"You don't want to see that Peeta, let's make love instead, okay?" She really wanted nothing more than to have Peeta moving inside her again. However, there was a small part of her that was thrilled at the idea of using the toy in front of him. If it weren't for the gushing fluid she would have admitted to this. Katniss just didn't know what to think of her body's reaction to the vibrator, and she worried that Peeta would find it gross.

"Why can't we do both? We've got an entire weekend, and we never have to leave this room." Peeta's voice was heavy with lust, the idea of Katniss touching herself, fucking herself with the toy in his absence made him painfully hard.

He needed to see it.

"Um, okay." Katniss walked over to her dresser, pushing socks and underwear to the side as she reached all the way to the very back and pulled the vibrator out. She walked over and sat it on the bed, looking at Peeta expectantly.

"Pretend I'm not here, do what you would do when you were missing me." He pulled her desk chair to the edge of the bed. "It was me you were thinking about, wasn't it?"

Katniss bit her lip hard, and nodded, "Of course, Peeta." She slipped out of her shorts and underwear then crawled onto the bed, empowered by the sight of Peeta's hand lazily working his index finger up and down the obvious rigid length visible through his pants.

"God, you are so fucking beautiful. Are you wet yet, Katniss?"

She lay down on the bed, head and shoulders propped up on pillows, with her legs slightly spread and slipped a finger down between her legs. "I am."

Peeta swallowed heavily at the sight of her petite fingers as they slowly parted her slit and sought the moisture slipping from her entrance, "Spread your legs wider." Katniss let her legs drop completely open at her sides, and Peeta moved the chair around to the front side of the bed so that he would be right in front of her spread legs. "Take your top off…Oh fuck." His voice trembled as she complied with his demands, stripping the shirt and bra from her body. "What did you think about?"

"I thought about you… about you licking me." Katniss slipped her middle finger inside her and quickly withdrew it, spreading her arousal around her clit. "I thought about your cock a lot. How big you are. How full you make me. How hard you make me come." She noticed that Peeta's hand had made its way into his pants, the slow rising motion in the front of his sweats letting her know that he was stroking himself now.

Peeta watched carefully as Katniss circled her clit over and over. She was so wet he could see it, and her skin was flushed a bright red. He thought about joining her on the bed until she reached for the vibrator, turning it on. He watched as she rubbed it all around covering it with the silky fluid that slipped from her, "I would get myself really wet and hot thinking about you until I just couldn't stand it, then I would turn this on and direct it right here." He watched as she pressed the vibrator against her clit, it emitted a low hum, and Katniss moaned loudly at the contact. Peeta slipped his pants down his hips, freeing his cock and began to stroke himself eagerly as he watched.

"Would you make yourself come then?" He asked as his hand moved up and down his length in a steady, increasing pace.

Katniss pushed herself up on one elbow and eagerly watched Peeta's strong hand slip back and forth over his thick, hard cock. Her legs trembled in anticipation, it wouldn't be long now, "I would, I would make myself come real quick, getting ready for what I was planning next."

Peeta stilled his hand on his cock, "What were you planning next?" He asked completely mesmerized as Katniss rode out an apparent orgasm in front of him. She never removed the vibrator from her clit, but fell back on the bed, eyes shut, panting his name. "Katniss?"

Finally, she propped herself back up and looked at him, noticing that he had stopped touching himself, "Do you really want to see?" The vibrator was still emitting a low buzz, and Katniss held it loosely against herself, never moving it.

"More than anything, Katniss. What did you do next?" Peeta's hand found his cock again, stroking a lot slower than he wanted, but he wanted to watch whatever it was that she did next closely.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you…" Katniss seemed nervous as she admitted this, but she never broke eye contact with Peeta as she slowly slid the vibrator deep inside of her. She slid it all the way until there was just a tiny amount of the black plastic visible. Peeta grasped his cock hard, relying on the pain to prevent the inevitable. Seeing the toy completely filling her was almost more than he could take, her eyes were screwed shut, chest heaving, knees shaking as she held it there.

Peeta held his breath and watched as she slowly eased the vibrator almost fully out and then plunged deep back into her again, "I would fuck myself with it just a little, but this doesn't make me come. I liked to pretend it was your cock filling me."

He was nervous to ask, and he could feel his heart beat in his cock as he held onto it tightly, not stroking for fear of blowing his load right here, "What would make you come then?"

Katniss didn't answer him, instead she slipped the vibrator out until it was a little less than halfway in her, she adjusted the dial and tilted her hips down. The black toy rested against the bed and was held firmly in place. Peeta could tell that this was something that she had enjoyed often, because her fingers moved quickly, there was no fumbling. The vibrator was humming faster now and without her telling him, Peeta knew that she had increased the speed.

Her breathing increased to an erratic huffing and panting that pushed from her as her body quaked from the vibration inside. Peeta eagerly stroked himself as he watched this, pumping his cock hard, his tip glistening with what was to come.

When Katniss's fingers found her clit and started to rub, she started to whine. The sound was one like he had never heard from her before and was entirely too much for him to take. Peeta came all over his hand in hot, heavy, wet spurts, but he never took his eyes off of her. He had never seen her wound as tight as she was before, and the whine coming from her throat was beautiful and new.

Then without warning, she tilted her hips, the vibrator slipping out of her and a gush of fluid followed. Peeta was dumbstruck, Katniss had just literally come all over the place, the fluid still trickling from her as her body dropped to the bed in a puddle of spent, sweaty limbs. Katniss laid there longer than she intended, riding out the sensations. She vaguely registered when Peeta's body dropped beside her on the bed gathering her up in his arms.

"That was incredible, possibly the most wonderful thing I've ever seen." Peeta couldn't believe her body was capable of something so insanely arousing. He was overcome with the desire to be the one to make her do that, "Do you think that I can make that happen?" He asked, blue eyes earnest with the want to please her.

Katniss felt like she should be ashamed, but she wasn't.

Peeta seemed impressed, and more than anything she hoped that he would be able to make her do that, "Let's take a nap first, and then we can try." She promised with a lazy, sated smile on her face.


End file.
